Crossfire
by GengaJupite
Summary: AU. Here at Fire Emblem High you can expect to see romance, rivalries, and oh so much drama. As if Edward and Rebecca didn't have enough to deal with, they realize that they have as much control over their feelings of love and friendship as a brigand and a berserk staff. Rated T for sexual innuendo and coarse language.
1. The First Day Back

Hey there, everybody! I'm sure none of you are reading all three stories, but this is the third time today that I've written one of these intro notes, so I'll try to keep this one short since they're getting kind of annoying :P. I'm GengaJupite and this is my first FE fic! It's also the most random pairing ever thought up, so don't judge, I just made a list of FE characters that I wanted in this story and then chose a guy and girl that I wanted to focus on. Don't hate, I'm actually liking the idea of these two getting together :P

Anyway, to the new people I say thanks for taking the time to check out this story, and to the few that I know read my Golden Sun fic, _What is Happiness?,_ I say thanks for supporting me through that and into this one! This, like my Kingdom Hearts story, are going to be me playing around with the drama in their teenage lives while attempting to be humourous, and still keeping it fluffy. Actually, now that I've started this story, this and my KH story have really similar settings, although the storylines are completely different. Huh, funny how that works out.

Note: For all Shadow Dragon things, I'll be referring to them by their localized names. This includes Navarre instead of Nabarl, Caeda instead of Shiida, Archanea instead of Akaneia, etc.

I'm not actually sure how many AU stories people make for FE, so hopefully this doesn't get shunned because it is. There won't be any characters from Gaiden, Seisen no Keifu, or Thracia 776 because I haven't played those games. If I do put any in, they'll have extremely minor roles since I don't know their personalities. I've got a crapton of characters to introduce (no OCs, just that it's an AU, so everyone's gonna be a bit different from their regular characterization), so let's just get to it! So much for keeping this short…

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters, names, and terms affiliated with it. All rights go to its respective owners, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

* * *

_**Crossfire**_

_The First Day Back  
(Edward)_

"Move it, loser!"

Oof, thanks a lot, dick. I definitely wanted to start my school year out by getting shoved to the ground by you.

"You alright, Eddie?" came a voice from behind me. I quickly hopped onto my feet and turned around to face my best friend.

"Oh, hey, Leo. Yeah, I'm fine, that's your typical Largo, though; always pushing people around."

"Heh, don't worry about it, he's too dumb to take an insult anyway."

Where are my manners; I guess I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Edward, but you can call me Eddie. Today's the first day back for everyone here at Fire Emblem High. It's probably one of the biggest high schools around, given that it's the only one in a district of five cities: Archanea, Elibe, Magvel, Tellius, and Ylisse. I don't know what the joint city councils were thinking when they decided to build one mega-school to have all of us teens to attend, but needless to say, it's a pretty crowded place.

Oh, the long blond-haired guy standing next to me? This is Leonardo, or Leo for short. The two of us have been best friends since we were kids. I can't really call us the troublesome twosome or anything like that, but we do have our fun. Usually he's the calm-headed one, but I prefer to call him the stick in the mud. Despite being best friends, we really aren't all that alike. Meh, opposites attract (we're just friends…).

"Hey, guys!" a girl shouted from behind us. In truth, it could've been directed at anyone since there were tons of people around, but we turned anyway. Oh, good, she was waving at us.

"Rebecca!" I called back, happy to see my best female friend.

Yeah, the three of us were basically the three amigos, no big deal. I chuckled as she happily skipped towards us, her medium-length braids bouncing from below her bandana (whoa, now that was an alliterative sentence if I'd ever thought of one). Her bright green eyes perfectly matched her hair, and I'd never really been discrete in telling her that I thought she was pretty. It's totally platonic since she's, y'know, my best friend. Besides, I'm just your average-looking guy: brown hair, brown eyes, kinda skinny, not too muscular, etc. I used to wonder if Leo and Rebecca only liked keeping me around because I made them look good, but girls (and one gay guy; I don't really like to dwell on that…) have told me I'm cute.

Anyway, the three of us made our way towards the enormous front courtyard of the school. Since every town around was paying for it, our high school was bigger than any college or university in the country. Honestly, you hear in movies and stuff how some of the seniors are afraid to graduate because they'll be faced with way bigger classes and whatnot, but where we're from it'll be more of an intimate setting than what we have now. Moving on, we made our way over to our usual group's hangout spot by the fountain and found some of our friends there.

"Eddie, Leo, Rebecca, over here!" waved Gerik and Boyd. Well, it's not like we would've missed them considering that they're the biggest guys in sight, being the rugby players and whatnot.

That was one thing about our school that was different from most others. Where they were all big on football (not to be confused with soccer), our school was big on rugby instead. Most of the guys on the team called football a pussy sport for people who couldn't take hits without armour. I couldn't deny that rugby was definitely the more aggressive sport, but I would never say that to a football player's face. In case you didn't notice, I'm kinda scrawny… A hard pat on my shoulder caught my attention as we neared the spot.

"So, you gonna join the team this year, Eddie? We still need a decent hooker." Haha, laugh it up, but it's an actual position.

I didn't need to turn around to know who was talking to me with his manly voice and muscular stature. I'm actually not sure how I forgot to mention Ike, captain of the rugby team as of last year. No matter, I knew it was him standing there. It's kind of surprising that Ike prefers to hang out with our group rather than the rest of the popular crowd that he's so, well, popular with. I'm not complaining, everybody like's Ike, but I just would've assumed he'd be hanging out with them. I guess all of us have our connections to the popular group though.

Speaking of the popular group, I forgot to mention that our school is, how's the best way to put this… cliquey. It's not that everyone hates each other (for the most part we actually all get along or are just indifferent), but almost everyone tends to stick to their own groups. I'd say my group is the most diverse out of all of them, so there isn't really a special 'name' for our clique; although, I have heard us referenced as the 'kinda populars' and other things to that effect. I dunno what would make us the 'kinda populars', but I won't argue that fact.

"Hey, you!" I heard a voice shout as someone jumped on my back. Don't know how they managed to do that with the knapsack being there and all…

"Wha- who's on my back?!"

"Heehee, relax, Edward, it's just me!" said a girl, quickly jumping off of me so that I could see her.

"Micaiah!"

"Don't mind me, it's not like I've seen you all summer either," came a rather snarky, sarcastic voice.

"Hehe, sorry, Sothe, I didn't really notice you with your girlfriend jumping me. How's it going?"

"Not too bad, not too bad; I suppose you met up with Leo and Rebecca first?"

"You know me well, o green-headed one." Now that I think about it, I have a lot of green-haired friends: Rebecca, Gerik, Boyd, Sothe, Nino… okay, so maybe it wasn't _that _many, but how many people do you know with naturally green hair? I don't like to tell people, but I'm a sucker for chicks with green hair.

"Who else is here? It's so damn difficult to find the people you want to with so many people here," Sothe complained as he was shoved back and forth by the crowds of people running to see each other.

Before I could answer, Leo was quick with a response. He probably had a better answer than my simple 'I 'unno'. "I think most of them are still getting here. We're only here early 'cause we wanted to meet up with some of you guys before the day started. I'm sure Donny and Nephenee are around somewhere. Ross, Ewan, and Amelia always sleep in, so they won't be here for a while. I'm guessing Mia had to take Marisa and Sumia to the infirmary since they're so prone to injuries, and it's pretty hectic out here. Robin, Kris, Mark, and Soren are probably off making a new playbook before the homecoming game. That's about it, isn't it?"

"Um, you forgot about us…" we heard a timid voice from beside Leo. I'm actually surprised we heard her, considering how loud it was out here.

"Oh, crap, sorry, Noire," he quickly apologized to the brunette. "Wait, did you and Natasha just get here?" She nodded, a look of unease on her face. "Hold up, if you and Natasha are here, then that means-"

"LEOLEOLEOLEOLEOLEO!"

Boom, collision with the green-haired maniac. We all laughed as Nino hugged Leo tightly on the ground. Nino was absolutely crazy in like with Leo; he, on the other hand, was a bit less enthusiastic about her. Well, that's how he liked to word it. That was basically his way of saying he liked her too. I could definitely see the difference in how he looked at her compared to other girls, but he would never admit to liking someone so… hyperactive. Whatever, it's like I said before, opposites attract, and Leo and Nino were definitely going to be dating by the end of this year; they had to, I bet good money on it.

Actually, since Leonardo was so kind enough to name off all of our friend-group members, I should probably elaborate a bit more on who they are. To start off, Donnel and Nephenee are stepsiblings from the farming sections of Ylisse and Tellius. Their parents share the land at the city border, so no one can say exactly which city they live in, not that that really matters. They're pretty close, so you can usually find them together.

Next we have Robin, Kris, and Mark, the tactical geniuses of the school. They make the playbooks for every sports team in the school along with Ike's childhood friend, Soren. Seriously, I don't think our school has lost one game since those four put their heads together back in grade nine. Other than the nerds, they're the smartest guys in the school, and, other than Ike, they're probably closer to the popular group than anyone else.

Ross, Amelia, and Ewan all grew up together in Magvel. I'm pretty sure their parents are all family friends, so the three of them are just as inseparable as Leo, Rebecca, and I. As Leo said earlier, they're all a bunch of lazy kids who love their sleep, so they probably won't get here until around lunchtime. It's the first day, so I guess it doesn't matter too much, but still…

Moving on, we've got Mia, Sumia, and Marisa. Honestly, I don't know how Mia ended up in a trio with those two, but needless to say they would probably be dead without her constantly keeping them out of danger. To put it lightly, Sumia and Marisa are the clumsiest people on the planet. You'd be surprised to know, then, that they're both the most graceful gymnasts I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, what the hell, right? Gerik and Marisa are also… you know, I don't really know what they are. The best way to describe it is… not-dating-because-we're-best-friends-but-we-both-really-wanna-get-together-and-make-babies-because-we've-liked-each-other-for-like-six-years-now. Well, that's how I'd describe it if I were one of them.

I guess I've been rambling for a while, so I'll hurry this up. Sothe and Micaiah were already dating when we met them back on the first day of middle school (so weird for kids to date, right?) and they've been together all the way up to now, our grade eleven (or junior, for all you 'Muricans out there) year. They used to have some issues with Ike, Soren, Boyd, and Mia, but now they're all close friends. Funny how things work out, eh?

And finally, we've got the three N's over here: Noire, Natasha, and Nino. Truthfully, the first letters of their names are about the only thing they have in common, so it's kind of interesting that they form yet another trio in our twenty-three person group. Noire is super shy and quiet most of the time, but seriously, and I can't stress this enough, Do. Not. Get. Her. Angry. She basically goes all Incredible Hulk on anyone who pushes her too far. It's… terrifying. Natasha, on the other hand, is the sweetest, most reserved person I've ever met. She's the most altruistic person I know, and I swear she makes Gandhi look like a dictator. Yeah, she's that nice; of course she's too humble to think so. As for Nino, well, I think her actions pretty much speak for themselves.

"Uh, can you get off me, Nino? The grass is… dirty…" said a blushing Leo. We all snickered at the sight of the two of them. Shut up Leo, we know you like it.

"Oops, sorry," she said, quickly getting off of him, and helping to pull him up. "I just feel like I haven't seen you in such a long time!"

"…Nino, it's Monday. We just went for ice cream on Saturday…" he said, face turning redder by the second.

"That's two days too long!" she laughed, wrapping him in another tight squeeze. I don't think I've ever seen someone's face turn so red.

"Oh, guys, me and Eddie have to go somewhere!" Rebecca suddenly said. Uh, we do?

"We do?" She glared at me, forcing me to comply, "O-oh right, I forgot! That, uh, that thing… that we had… to… do?"

"Ugh, nevermind, we'll catch up with you guys later!" she said, tugging me away through the crowded courtyard.

I had no idea where she was bringing me. I'm not exactly the tallest person, so trying to see around the ocean of people was next to impossible. I'm actually more surprised that Rebecca, being short as she was, could tell where she was going, and was able to maneuver around everyone. While I was pretty confused by all of this, I didn't complain; after all, this hadn't been the first time she'd randomly dragged me somewhere. After a while, she pulled me out of the crowds of people to reveal the large multi-purpose sports fields.

"So, what are we doing here, Bec?" I was the only one allowed to call her that. Ever since that guy named Beck started school here, she didn't want to be referred by the same name, not that he's a bad guy or anything. Luckily, I'm too persistent for her to stop me from calling her that, since I was the one who started it anyway.

"I just wanted to get away from all the people for a second," she said, taking a deep breath and breathing in the fresh air. "And unlike the two lovebirds back there, I actually _haven't_ seen you in a while!"

It was true. Her family always went away for a couple weeks at the end of the summer, so it had been quite some time. I gave her a hug; it felt like the right thing to do then, "Yeah, I guess I never asked you how your trip was. I was more concerned with how much I missed you that it slipped my mind."

"Aww, you're such a softie," she giggled, returning the embrace. "Well, it was nice. Jugdral isn't all that different from here, but it has some pretty beaches and stuff."

"Hey, Skeletor, why don't you get your hands off my sister!"

Trudging down the hill from behind us was someone I did not want to see. Ugh, yeah, I kinda forgot to mention Rebecca's older brother. He's known me forever, but for whatever reason he decided to start picking on me as soon as he became part of the popular crowd. It's weird, but he's the only one that tends to do so when he's alone. I mean the populars are known for picking on people when they're together, but I've talked to most of them one-on-one before and they're actually pretty friendly. I guess it's that mob mentality/cool person rep or something. Either way, he wasn't alone it seemed.

"C'mon, Dan, you know I wasn't doing anything."

"Hey, hey, hey, the name's Dart, not Dan!" Oooh, because that sounds sooo tough. "And it looked to me like you were trying to cop a feel or something. What, you think I'm gonna let you touch my sister like that?!"

"Dude, relax, it was a hug. Seriously, I've known you for like twelve years, when have I ever tried to make a move on Rebecca?"

"Uh…" Yeah, that's right, dumbass. I watched as he turned to Largo and Gonzales for support. I had to stifle a chuckle from escaping; Dart sure picked a good couple of cronies to try and outsmart me.

"Well, you're still a scrawny loser!" shouted Largo.

"Haha! Gonzales squash you like a bug!" Gonzales guffawed. I don't really know how he fit in with the popular people. He was dumber than a rock, and he was probably one of the ugliest gorillas I'd ever seen. Good thing Vaike wasn't here, or I'd be mentally insulting both of them for their minimal intelligences.

"Dan, go away! It's just Edward, you know he wouldn't do anything!" said Rebecca.

"Grr, fine, but if I catch you with her again, oh you're in for a hell of a beatdown!" he yelled before storming off with the other muscleheads. Yeah, because you've never threatened me with that before. When was the last time you actually beat me up? Oh, right, never. "And I told you, it's Dart!"

"Heh, so when'd he coin that nickname?" I chuckled once they were out of earshot.

"To be honest, I think he made it up either today or yesterday," she giggled with me, "but he seems pretty insistent on it, so maybe it's safest to just call him that from now on."

"Yeah, but he's your brother… Don't you think he'll give some leeway for you?" She gave me an are-you-kidding-me look before we both broke out in laughter. "Yeah, stupid question."

The sound of the first bell going off caught our attention, and we slowly made our way up towards the enormous building. Because the school was so big, they had to make a whole bunch of subdivisions within grades to keep the sorting system easier. Rebecca and I were lucky enough to end up in the same division, so we pretty much got to hang out whenever there was a school-wide assembly or something.

We entered the building and followed the signs labeled 'Grade Elevens'. There were a lot of familiar faces around, but no one from our group was in sight. I probably didn't even have to walk, the current of moving people would flow me to the point where the divisions split off. After a few minutes, we reached the area where people started to do so. I spent a couple minutes looking for a sign saying 'Division Three'. It was times like these when I cursed my short stature.

"Looking for something?" asked a familiar, bubbly voice.

"Mia! Where have you been all morning?" Rebecca said happily, giving Mia a hug. My guess is she was helping Marisa and Sumia get patched up at the infirmary.

"Sorry, I was at the infirmary with Marisa and Sumia. You know them, always needing to get patched up over something or other." Bingo, worded almost identically to what I just said.

I should've mentioned that Mia's in our division as well. You'd think that with only three divisions to split up the fifteen of us that are in grade eleven that more of our group would be together, but it turned out that most of them ended up in division one. It was us three in D3; Mark, Donnel, Soren, Sumia, and Noire in D2; and Robin, Kris, Nephenee, Sothe, Micaiah, Natasha, and Leo in D1. Ross, Ewan, Amelia, and Nino are all a year younger than us and Ike, Gerik, Boyd, and Marisa are a year older.

Mia led the way, being taller than the two of us, and we began heading down the hallway for our division. Now this was a reasonable amount of people, only about three hundred or so crammed into the hallway. I'm not being sarcastic when I say that, there's anywhere from three to seven hundred people per division, so we were lucky to get one of the smaller ones. I think our school has, oh I dunno; averaging five hundred per division, three divisions per grade, four grades in the school you get roughly… ugh, it's too early to be doing math, but I'm pretty sure there's around six thousand people at our school, give or take a few hundred. Yeah, most high schools get between one to two thousand, so the fact that ours has this many is just to give you an idea of how crowded it is.

Sorry for rambling, but this line is moving really slow. When we finally reached the front (a whole freaking nine minutes!), we went into a room where there was a long row of desks with twenty-six, lettered folders. Each folder had a teacher sitting behind it so that they could find the person's schedule. Mia and I made our way over to the 'T' line while I watched Rebecca go to the 'W' line. Mia and I have the same last name, but I can assure you that we aren't related. Yes, we've been told we have similar personalities, but other than that I don't see any other similarities. She's really pretty, where I'm, as I've said before, just a regular-looking guy. Her purple hair and bright green eyes, accompanied by the fact that she seems to wear a lot of orange, really makes her pop out in crowds. Me? Brown hair, brown eyes, plain red tee and beige pants; I don't like to stand out so much.

"Name?" asked the nice woman behind the counter. Oh, hey, that's Elena, Ike's mom! It's weird, but here at FEH we're on a first name basis with all the staff, kinda like in university. "Oh, hello, Edward. And you too, Mia."

We both smiled as she ruffled through the papers. Getting near the end of the list she pulled out our adjacent schedules. "Ah, here they are, Edward and Mia Trueblade." We thanked her as she handed them to us and we waited off to the side for Rebecca.

"So, what do you guys have this semester?" she asked once she'd gotten her schedule.

Neither of us had actually looked yet, so we all opened up the small booklets and compared schedules. It still made me snicker to see 'Wildflower, Rebecca' every time I saw her schedule. I could almost hear Dan, pardon, _Dart_ trying to tell the staff person his name. "Daniel Wildflrsmph…" he would say as he tried to mumble the last part in embarrassment, only to have to repeat himself louder so that they could hear.

"Are you freaking kidding me, you guys have ALL your classes together?!" shouted Mia, gaining some looks from the other students in the room. As if she wasn't getting enough attention.

"What, really?" I hadn't really been paying attention, as I'd been caught up in my Dart scenario. Sure enough, Rebecca and I had managed to get all our classes for this semester together.

"Well, it looks like we'll be seeing quite a lot of each other," she teased. "Hope you aren't afraid of my brother trying to kill you."

"Oh, please, we both know he never has or will lay a finger on me. He knows you would never forgive him if he did. Believe it or not, I think Dart actually, dare I say it, _cares_ about you, Bec."

We all laughed. Dart wouldn't let anyone know, but his douche-y attitude towards Rebecca's guy friends was just him being overprotective. "Hehe, and if he does try to hurt you, I'll be there in PE to help you out!" added Mia. "See, we all have it in last period!" Just as she'd said, our period four class said PE with Kent as the teacher.

"Okay, well we should get going if we want to get to class on time. Bye, Mia!" I said as we started heading in the other direction.

First up was English with Lucius. All right! Lucius, for those of you who don't know, is probably the most laid back teacher there is. That's not to say that he doesn't care about his job or make us do our homework, but one of his quirks is that he doesn't mind if we don't take notes or pay full attention to the lesson, so long as our marks are decent enough. Luckily for me, I'm pretty good at keeping a B average without paying attention. And Lucius likes to spend a lot of time on creative fiction writing, so basically it's a class where we get graded on our ability to write stories. This'll be a cinch!

"You seem happy," said Rebecca as we entered the classroom.

"Well, who wouldn't be when you find out that Lucius is your teacher?" I said as we sat down.

"Well, well, if it isn't the lovely Rebecca in my English class," said someone from behind us. "Oh, and Edward…"

Well, I guess it's almost impossible _not _to end up in class with at least one of the popular people. I just didn't get why they had to act all snide when they were with their friends. I mean, almost everyone in the school has some direct connection to the populars, whether it's being friends or something more. In any case, they acted like assholes unless they were by themselves, and such was the case right now.

"Hi, Wil, Rennac, Vaike," Rebecca greeted them kindly.

I wasn't too fond of these three, so I wasn't going to waste my effort greeting them knowing that they didn't give a crap. Vaike can be nice, but more often than not he's pretty rude to me. I have my own reasons for disliking Rennac, and as for Wil…

"Jugdral was awfully beautiful, wasn't it? Though I can't say that it would have been half as enjoyable without you there," Wil directed to Rebecca, earning a giggle and blush from her. Geez, could you get any cheesier?

Okay, so if you didn't guess, Rebecca has a thing for Wil. I'm almost certain it's mutual; otherwise he wouldn't be saying any of this stuff. If anyone else had said something as ridiculously stupid as that she would've laughed in his face. However, given that it just so happened that their families were close, they sometimes went on trips together. Ugh, there they go, flirting away while I tell all of you about how much they dig each other.

See, I don't actually have anything against Wil; we actually used to be good friends. But, like a few other people I know, he got in with the popular crowd and we kind of lost our bond. I think he got in with their group because he's close with Lyn, but you never can be sure with them. Either way, Wil and Bec never really stopped being friends, and now they spend all their time flirting. I always thought that populars only dated within their own groups, but ever since Chrom started openly flirting with Sumia, well, I think that's when they realized they could date 'below their status'.

"Yo, Eddie, you pissed that Wil keeps hittin' on your girl?" Vaike pestered me. "'Cause Ol' Teach here says she'd pick him over you any day!"

"Screw off, Vaike, she's not my girl…"

"Oh, that's right," added Rennac, making me glare at his stupid smirking face. "Vaike, how could you forget that little Edward here has a thing for L'Arachel?"

"W-what?! I-I do not!" I yelled back a little too defensively. I could feel my face growing hot as Wil and Rebecca stopped their flirting because of my outburst.

"Well, if that ain't embarrassed blushing, then I don't know what is!" laughed Vaike.

"Just shut up, guys!"

"Aww, wittle Eddie has a cwuuuush," added Wil. Rebecca giggled, but only slightly. I knew I couldn't count on her right now, not while Wil was around.

"Too bad she's crazy for me," Rennac chuckled. "Bitch is loony if she thinks I'm ever gonna ask _her_ out."

"Why wouldn't you?" asked Vaike. "She's super hot, and I bet she'd do anything with you, and I mean _anything_."

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd wanna date a psycho, y'know? All her and Serra do is gossip. If we ever got in a fight, she'd turn the whole school against me."

"Yeah, but… good sex."

"You'd know?"

"You kiddin' me? Course I know, Rennac! You think Teach didn't teach her a trick or two?"

Alright, well that was all the listening I wanted to do. As if it didn't make me mad enough that Rennac was insulting the girl I liked, but Vaike was pretty much saying how much of a slut she was.

Yeah, I guess there's no denying that I like L'Arachel. I mean, on top of being on my secret list of top ten hottest girls at FEH, I really liked her personality. Okay, true, she's one of the school's top gossipers, but she can be pretty down-to-earth when she wants to. Last year we were in art together (luckily she was the only popular in the class) and I got to spend a lot of time getting to know her. I'm not sure when it happened, but I just started liking her like that after a while. She really wanted to know whom I liked at the time, but I wouldn't tell her. All she managed to get out of that was that I have a thing for green-haired girls, and of course, being the tease that she is, she decided that it would be a fun idea to be a little more flirtatious. It was all teasing though, because she ended up telling me whom she liked in a failed attempt to get me to spill the beans.

And now you know why I absolutely loathe Rennac. Not only does he despise her, but he also makes a joke out of her every chance he gets. According to him, she's too ditzy to understand that he will never _ever_ be her boyfriend. I don't know if they have some weird history with each other or if it's part of their group's drama. Whatever the reason, I think he's a little over the top about it. I mean sure, she's not the smartest individual, but the fact that he says he would ask out Gonzales before her is just… Come on, just say you don't wanna go out with her and leave it at that!

"-and that's pretty much how the Vaike taught L'Arachel and Serra about pounding two tacos." Ew, I didn't need to hear that…

"Nice, man. I wouldn't do either of them unless they both lost their voices, but the fact that you got a threesome is badass."

"Rennac, they've got _the_ hottest squeals-"

Holy crap, how long were they gonna go on about this? It's just my luck that I don't know anyone else in the class. Well, I do, but I'm not gonna go talk to Jaffar or Miriel just to avoid this; though the idea is getting more intriguing by the second. I'm pretty sure Jaffar only talks to his weird group of quiet friends and Nino, and Miriel speaks in such a sophisticated manner that I'm pretty sure only Laurent and Lyon can actually understand her… Either way, they probably wouldn't want to talk to me if I went over to them, since I'm not in their friend groups. Like I said before, our school is cliquey. Oh, I didn't even notice Athena over there! Other than the fact that she only understands half of what I say, I don't mind her. Better get out of here before Vaike gets too explicit…

"Hey, Athena, how are you?" I said as I ditched my old group to chat with her.

"Ve are doing vell. Thank you, Edvard. Are you vell?" Right, I probably should've mentioned that Athena is one of the four ESL people I know. Well, now you know.

"I'm okay, did you have a good summer?"

"Yes, ve are doing many things over break. Ve svam in the lake and vent to vatch sport game and…" and on and on she went. I felt kind of bad, but I was getting bored of her extensive list of things she'd done over the break.

"Uh, that all sounds fun, but I should probably get back to, uh…"

"Good morning, class!" Lucius said cheerily as he walked into the classroom. Thank the gods; you just saved me from making up a terrible excuse, Lucius.

Walking back over to Rebecca, Wil was in my seat, still flirting with her. I didn't want to seem like_ that guy_, but my bag was on the desk, and class was starting. I coughed inconspicuously as I leaned on the desk. Despite the eye-roll and annoyed groan, Wil stood up and went back to his original seat. Yeah, that's right.

"Sorry, I got a little distracted there," Rebecca whispered as Lucius started doing the normal first-day introductory things.

"Don't worry about it, we'll have loads more time to talk. We do have all our classes together, remember?"

"Of course, how could I forget? And even better, Wil is in our PE class!"

"Oh, uh, that's great…"

"Sorry, I always forget that you guys don't really see eye-to-eye anymore."

"It's alright, I know Mia's in our class, so if anything I'll just hang out with her so you and Wil can do your flirting thing."

She blushed, but didn't deny that it was the truth. She knew that I knew her too well for her to bother denying anything. It worked both ways though, so whenever L'Arachel came up in conversation, she was always quick with a remark. Ah, the quirks of being best friends with someone as clever as myself.

_Bzz bzz bzz_

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check who was texting me right now. Oh geez, she _would_ text me right after I was finished going through all the nasty Vaike stories and whatnot. Whatever, I'm actually glad that she texted me instead of the other way around.

_1 new message from: L'Arachel Rausten  
__OMG Eddie! :) R u here today? I havent seen u since last year lol! Txt me ur schedule! Heres mine  
__P1: Bio w/ Canas  
__P2: Music w/ Rafiel & Reyson  
__Lunch  
__P3: Business w/ Anna  
__P4: PE w/ Kent_

Nice, we have business together! Hopefully Rebecca doesn't feel neglected in that class. Then again, I can always say that I feel the same way in this one. I know it's a terrible thing for friends to do, but I know that by next week Wil's gonna be way more insistent on flirting with her, so I can only enjoy this for the time being.

Hold up, I must've missed that, PE with Kent?! Oh man, as if that class wasn't hectic enough as it is. It's kind of hard to say if L'Arachel and Wil would hang out during PE or if Wil would stay with Rebecca, forcing L'Arachel to come over to me. That's still assuming there's no other populars in that class. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there was… Well, at least I still had Mia.

So on top of being in two classes with Wil and Rebecca, now I was in two with L'Arachel too. I know it's only the first period of the first day, but, man, it is going to be a long semester.

* * *

Heh, sorry if that ended a bit awkwardly, but I didn't want Eddie to ramble on for too long. To be honest, this intro, like many intro chapters, was just sort of to introduce the main characters. I know it might've been a bit overwhelming, so I apologize for the large amount of people. Actually, I'm going to post a list of all the people I'm sure will make an appearance in the story and what their cliques are down below (except the populars; that's for next chapter). I haven't confirmed if they'll have big roles or not, but they'll defs be in the story at some point.

And if you're curious about the constantly mentioned populars, well that's more of what next chapter is dedicated to focusing on. Just so that I can avoid confusion, the POV for this story will switch between Edward and Rebecca. I can't say if it's going to alternate back and forth, but next chapter is definitely going to be Rebecca's POV. Hopefully you're all for cliché high school plots and stuff, because that's pretty much what the rest of this is going to be :P

So what'd you guys think? I'm open for feedback as long as it's constructive, so don't be afraid of being critical!

As I say on all of my stories, I'm hoping one day to become a video game music composer, so I kindly ask that you guys check out my soundcloud (link on my profile). While I admit that the songs on there aren't fantastic, I'm still growing as a musician and composer, so hopefully you'll see some development as I get better.

I think that's about it, so thank you for taking the time to check this random-ass story out and I hope you'll stick around to see how it develops! Other than my extremely broad plotline, I certainly have no idea how it will :P

_-GengaJupite_

* * *

List of characters by clique!

**Main Group:  
**_Blazing Sword (FE7)  
_Rebecca  
Mark  
Nino

_Sacred Stones (FE8)  
_Ross  
Ewan  
Amelia  
Natasha  
Gerik  
Marisa

_Path of Radiance (FE9)  
_Ike  
Soren  
Boyd  
Mia  
Nephenee

_Radiant Dawn (FE10)  
_Edward  
Leonardo  
Micaiah  
Sothe

_New Mystery of the Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow (FE12)  
_Kris

_Awakening (FE13)  
_Robin  
Donnel  
Sumia  
Noire

**Nerds/Band Geeks:  
**Miriel (FE13)  
Laurent (FE13)  
Lyon (FE8)  
Nils (FE7)  
Elphin (FE6)

**Quiet People:  
**Navarre (FE1,11)  
Rutger (FE6)  
Rath (FE7)  
Jaffar (FE7)  
Volke (FE9)  
Lon'qu (FE13)  
Gerome (FE13)

**ESL:  
**Devdan (FE9)  
Danved (FE10)  
Athena (FE11)  
Gregor (FE13)


	2. Clashing Personalities

Well, it looks like I'm going to be updating this story most frequently! Not only did I most enjoy writing the intro to this one out of the three that I'm working on, but it seems to be getting a fair amount of attention based on reviews. Obviously my Kingdom Hearts story has been getting more views, but relative to the size of the fanbases for both that and FE, this one is a bit more popular I think.

Thanks to the four people who reviewed!

**Mr0cheese: **I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was a bit skeptical about how my humour would come across since WiH is quite a serious story with only a quip every once in a while. Thankfully, your laughter made me feel more at ease. And hey, Canas being a bio teacher totally makes sense :P. He's super interested in nature magic according to his supports, so I compared that to biomes and ecosystems and stuff. Anyway, I don't think teachers are gonna have much of a role in the story. They'll talk and make appearances, but I don't think they're going to have any important instances.

**Bearclaw13: **Ah, I suppose I chose a good place to end off the chapter then! Eddie is definitely one of my favourites, and I'm pretty sure I always made him a trueblade before the end of part one. Needless to say, no one else got much training :P. Hopefully this doesn't come across as off-putting, but think of this chapter as part two of the introduction. The reason for that is because I didn't want to introduce too many characters in the intro, so this one is dedicated to introducing the populars, which is a mighty list of forty-three.

**BritRecon: **Actually, I posted the final chapter of WiH at the same time that I posted the first chapters of the other three stories. I wanted them all to be posted at the same time so that people could see what's there and choose which one(s) they wanted to follow along after WiH ended. As for the FE Awakening time travel thing, any parent-child relationships from the game are going to become cousin, sibling, or some other kind of relationship that would steer them away from hooking up with each other.

**Gunlord500: **Thanks, man, I appreciate that someone new took the time to review the story! Hope you'll like my style :).

As a quick note, this chapter is more like part II of the introduction, so don't be alarmed by the large onslaught of characters being thrown at you. I'm hoping this is the last chapter where I need to do this sort of thing, so if you can make it through this one then you should hopefully be able to make it through the rest of the story!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Clashing Personalities  
(Rebecca)_

"I'll see you later, Wil!"

"I'm looking forward to it," he winked at me.

Wow, Wil is just so… so… wow. I can't believe it took me so many years to realize just how great he really is. I've known him almost all of my life, thanks to our close families, and yet I never used to think of him like this until last year. Those reddish-brown locks and matching eyes to accentuate his handsome face… gah, I just want to melt when I see them.

"Helloooo? Earth to Rebecca!" said Edward, taking me out of my daydreaming.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Eddie, did you say something?"

"No," he snickered, "but you were looking pretty out of it just then. I don't need to ask why, so I won't bother."

"You think you're so funny don't you," I retorted, a mischievous smile contrasting my reddening cheeks, "but don't think I didn't notice who you were texting all class. Seems like you're just as hopeless as me."

Now it was his turn to blush. Hah, we know each other too well. Now if only Leo were here, he's so much more fun to embarrass since he's too 'reserved to resort to childish antics like getting us back', as he likes to put it. Ah, well, maybe he'll be in one of our other classes.

"So, uh, what do we have now?" asked Eddie, trying to drop the subject at hand.

"Lemme check," I said, opening my schedule as we walked down the crowded hallway. You kind of get used to multitasking around here, "Looks like drama with Xane. I've never had Xane for anything, you know much about him?"

"A little bit, I've heard he's a fun teacher but he takes his job really seriously. I'd guess that means he's cool, but probably marks tougher than you'd think."

"Well, I guess we'll have to find out."

The theatre wasn't too far away from the English building, so we were lucky that we didn't have to run across the school to make it in time. I'd hate to be somewhere like the sciences building right before drama. That would mean trying to get across the entire school (which is about a fifteen minute walk) in only five minutes.

Honestly, I was really glad with the way my schedule worked out. Not only was I in every class with one of my best friends, but my only hard class this semester was business. That probably meant that I'd have a bunch of hard courses for the next semester, but I would cross that bridge when I got to it.

We were one of the first few people in the theatre, so we quietly sat on the stage with the three or four others that were there. I would've started talking to Eddie, but it seemed as though he was preoccupied with his phone. Ugh, well if he can ignore me for L'Arachel, then I see no reason why I can't start daydreaming again. Oh, Wil, I hope you'll ask me out soon…

"Gooooood mornin', everybody!" called out a cheerful voice. Whoa, when did the room fill up? Guess I was daydreaming for longer than I thought. "If you guys don't know me, the name's Xane, and I'll be your drama teacher this semester!"

Xane certainly had a… thespian look about him. I always like analyzing teachers that are new to me; it's sort of my way of learning how to get on their good side. Let's see, he has some medium-length red hair and matching eyes, but they aren't menacing; rather, he seemed to mellow them out with his cheerful expression. I guess he likes red or something, because his entire outfit is red from his… tunic down to his… well, the bottom of the tunic. Like I said, he's very 'thespian'. He had some kinda weird winged headband on, and the whole getup would be weird if he weren't a drama teacher. Ah, the quirks of teaching certain subjects.

I looked around the room while Xane went about with the usual introductory things. Beside me, Eddie was talking to Kris and Nephenee. I guess they saw me in my daze and left me to it. I'm not super upset, but, sheesh, one of them could've at least said hi. Well, if they're busy I'll see who else is in here.

Since we were all sitting in a big circle, it was easy to spot people I knew. The easiest ones to spot were the populars, since they're so recognizable. Lucina, Kleine, Feena, Sain, and Inigo were sitting across the circle from me. Sain and Inigo were currently checking out every girl in the room, not even caring if the girl was obviously glaring back at them. I guess you don't really care when you've been spotted once you're known throughout the school for being one of the Shameless Six.

I looked away when their gazes landed on me. If I pretended I didn't notice, they might move down the line quicker. I could see the twins, Devdan and Danved, talking about something in their native language. From the look of it, they were arguing about something or other. Though I could barely see him back there, Gerome was lurking in the wings, not wanting to sit with the rest of us. He always wears sunglasses – even inside – and for the longest time I thought he was blind…

"Alrighty, now that we've got that settled, let's get up and play some actin' games!" Xane said as everyone got to their feet. "I'll get to attendance in a bit, but I actually already have a guest teacher comin' in to help me out today!"

We all turned towards the entrance to see an ominous-looking fellow silently walking towards the stage. He wore an olive-green cloak that shadowed his eyes so that only his mouth and nose were visible. That was the thing about drama class; you never could predict what might happen, or what kind of characters might show up. Still, this guy was kind of creeping me out.

"Ah, right on time!" Xane said cheerfully as the shady character got up on stage. "Everyone, this is Bramimond. He'll be assistin' me in the little mirrorin' game I've got set up."

"And why, exactly, would we be doing something dumb like a mirroring game?" said Kleine, flicking her long blonde locks over her shoulder. She certainly fit the stereotype of the hot bitch.

"Well, missy, because if you ever want to get as good as this, then you'll have to shut your mouth and pay attention."

Everyone was silent and about half the class had their jaws hanging open, including Kleine. I don't think anyone was expecting to hear an obviously female voice come out of the shadowy guy's mouth, and we certainly didn't think he'd sound exactly like Kleine. If anything, I thought he might have a sort of menacing voice, not a bitchy teenage girl's. No one in the room was sure whether they should be looking at him or her, as it seemed like many were still unsure whom it was that just spoke. It felt like minutes before Xane burst out laughing.

"Oh man, Bram, that is never gonna get old! As you can see, folks, Bramimond and m'self are experienced mirror imitators. Hell, we could probably size you up and imitate you completely from hearin' one word outta your mouths!"

"Bullshit!" called Inigo. That seemed rather uncharacteristic of him, but maybe that was the idea. However, Xane was ready to prove his experience in mirroring.

"Ah, young sir, I would much appreciate it if you didn't speak in such a manner, for you might frighten some of the poor, timid ladies sitting in here. It would do no good to intimidate bashful women; after all, the shy ones are often the most fun to flirt with, wouldn't you agree?"

A roar of laughter went around from Xane's spot-on imitation of Inigo. Even Inigo himself couldn't help but chuckle. I had no idea how Xane and Bramimond were able to perfectly replicate the voice of their subject, but it was hilarious nonetheless.

"Okay, everybody, settle down! Good, now that we've established what we're doin', let's have everyone pair up and take turns mirrorin' each other. If you're feelin' confident, you can try the voices, but that takes years and years of experience for most."

And so began the first drama class of few that wouldn't be filled with the drama of our lives.

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"So then I was like 'POW' right in the guy's stomach. How do you like them apples, wimp?"

"…I don't get it."

"What's not to get?! It was hilarious!"

"Boyd, you didn't even tell us what was going on. We just sat down and you said 'So then I was like…' without actually giving us any context…"

"Oh. Right…"

Boyd laughed as we sat around one of the lunch tables and stared at him. Sometimes, he doesn't really make much sense, so no one knows exactly what he's talking about. Maybe he thought he told us what he had been thinking or something. Either way, it wasn't uncommon for him to do weird things like that, though I must say that he's never started in the middle of a random story.

"Geez, Eddie, do you ever put your phone away?" asked Leo.

"One sec, I'm texting," he replied, thereby giving Leo the answer to his question. "Okay, sorry, what'd you ask?"

I giggled while Leo sighed in defeat, "Nevermind, just let me see your schedule so I don't have to ask again."

"Here, Leo, you can look at mine," I said as Eddie noticed the near-instantaneous reply to his text, "Eddie and I have all our classes together, so it's the same thing."

"Thanks, Rebecca, at least I know you'll pay attention to me when I'm speaking to you," he said loudly into Eddie's ear. I couldn't stop myself from laughing when it seemed as though he didn't even hear the blond; being too enthralled with the message he was typing.

"Look at that, we've got PE together!" cheered Leo, though him cheering is simply an elevated volume and a smile, but that's pretty rare from Leo.

"Really? Wow, apparently there are a lot of people we know in that class."

"Like who?"

"Well, from what I know so far, Mia's in it, I'm assuming L'Arachel is because Eddie keeps saying how excited he is for after lunch, and *sigh* of course there's-"

"Wil," he finished for me. "You only start getting that dreamy tone of voice when you're talking about him."

I sighed again and looked over at the table where my auburn-haired love interest sat with the other popular people. Gosh, even when he's eating he looks attractive. I couldn't even be bothered to eat right now, because it might distract me from the stud over there. Oh if only he would ask me out sooner so that I could stop feeling so angsty. I would be so overjoyed if- Eep, he's looking this way!

He definitely gave me a cute smile before I awkwardly looked away. Arg, if he wasn't with all his friends I'd go sit with him, but that's impossible since he's a popular guy. He's never _not_ going to be with his friends. He just _had_ to be one of the more diverse guys in their group.

The popular clique is probably one of the most divided ones in the school. I suppose it's because they have so many people in their group, but they have sub cliques within their large clique, and it just kind of gets confusing from there since a bunch of them are in more than one sub group while other's are only in one.

If all that sounds confusing, that's because it is. I'll just try to elaborate a bit more. Basically there are four main groups within the popular group itself. Those groups are aptly named the dancers, gossipers, JDB, and Elites. To start off, we don't have a cheer team at our school, but a dance team instead. They still end up cheering on the sports teams at games and stuff, so I don't really know why they insist that they're solely dancers. Anyway that consists of Ninian, Tethys, Feena, Lalum, Olivia, and Leanne. In truth, they're probably the nicest people in the popular group. I can't get over the fact that Olivia and Ninian are so shy, but still fit in with their group so well. I also don't think I've ever heard Leanne speak, or even dance, but I know that she's a beautiful singer, like her brothers who teach music here. Regardless, the dancers are all so beautiful, and it makes me feel, I dunno, schlumpy whenever I'm around any of them.

The gossipers, as the name implies, are the polar opposites of the friendly dancers. I think Feena and Lalum are actually in both groups, but I won't bother trying to figure all of that stuff out. Basically, if there's ever a rumour going around the school, it's almost guaranteed to have originated from them. Those girls are ruthless. Actually, I can't even say only girls since it isn't. Well, to list them off, the leaders of that section are Serra and Eddie's major crush, L'Arachel. I don't really know what he sees in her, but, hey, whatever floats your boat. As for the rest of the group, it's Nowi, Lissa, Mist, Cynthia, Callil, Clarine, and, oddly enough, Henry. Don't ask me how Henry got in that group with all the 'hot' girls, because no one has a clue. I have a feeling they think he might be gay or something, but he definitely isn't; otherwise the Shameless Six wouldn't feel so negatively towards him.

So, speaking of the Shameless Six, they're a group of mostly guys who openly try to hook up with as many girls as they can. They consist of Inigo, Sain, Saul, Gatrie, Virion, and Heather who has been openly lesbian for a while, much to the dismay of many hopeful guys. I won't deny that she's pretty hot, so I can see why guys would be disappointed. Anyway, they fall under the group that we've coined as JDB, which stands for Jocks and Douchebags. Honestly, Natasha and I protested the name, saying it was offensive, but almost everyone else was for it. At least we got them to abbreviate it so that it wasn't so obvious… That group contains the Shameless Six, Kleine, Shinon, Largo, Gonzales, Vaike, and, understandably, my brother, Dart.

The Elites have the biggest group of all of them. They're basically a bunch of rich kids who host parties nearly every weekend. Usually that's where I would say I don't know how they afford it, but their families are loaded. It's actually surprising how many rich people we have at our school. There's Eliwood, Lyn, Hector, Roy, Lilina, Eirika, Ephraim, Joshua, Tana, Elincia, Marth, Caeda, Chrom, and Lucina. Holy crap, I need a second to breathe… Okay, all better, but as you can see there's a lot of them. Strangely, Lyon of the nerdy group lives right near all of them, but I guess since he doesn't throw parties they don't really include him in their group. I do know that he's close with Eirika and Ephraim, though.

Now you may have noticed that I left Wil out. I actually left out Wil, Rennac, and Tiki because we aren't really sure where to classify them. None of them really fit the criteria for any of the four sub groups, so they kind of just drift around between all of them.

Anyway, sorry about rambling on for so long, I just thought you might want some more info on the people I've been mentioning quite a bit. What was I talking about before all this? I haven't got the slightest clue anymore. Hmm, I suppose I could just start thinking about Wil again. Mmm, Wil…

"HEY, REBECCA!" Holy crap, that scared me!

"Whoa, why are you screaming, Nino?!"

"Heehee, sorry, but Leo and Eddie have been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes. Neither of them was gonna yell at you, so I had to step in."

"Oh, hehe, sorry, guys. What did you need?"

"Well, I was just giving your schedule back," said Leo, "and I think Eddie had something to say about your next class."

"Yeah, uh," Eddie started, "I was just curious if you knew anyone in our business class. Y'know, other than me?"

"Um, I don't think so, how come?"

"Oh boy, that's kind of what I was afraid of." Afraid of? Wow, thanks a lot, Edward, I really wanted you to tell me that I'm a burden.

"What's the issue?" I asked, trying to hide my slight annoyance.

"Well… I don't really know how to say this without it coming off as… awkward…"

"You're stalling, Eddie. Might as well just tell me since I'm bound to find out anyway."

"I suppose… Okay, just promise you won't get mad?"

"Yes, yes, I promise, now get to the point!"

He gulped before starting. Honestly, what could he be so nervous about? It's not like I would hate him for it or anything, so why would it make a difference if I found out? Boys can be so weird sometimes. And they call us complicated? Woman logic makes sense, thank you very much!

"L'Arachel is in our business class, but she said that none of her other friends are in it. I didn't want you to feel neglected if I spend some time talking to her…"

Really, that was it? He got all uncomfortable for that? Ugh, what was I, his mommy? I didn't need to hold his hand all day long. Why should I care if L'Arachel steals some of his time away? It makes no difference to me. I'm completely indifferent at this point. Eddie and L'Arachel can have all the time they want; I'm fine with sitting by myself.

…Okay, so maybe it irritates me a little bit. Like I said before, I have no idea what he sees in her. No, she's not as terrible as Rennac makes her sound, but she certainly isn't a smart person. The best word to describe her would be… ditzy. If I were being nice, I'd say she's a good dresser, but that's about it. I don't really like the fact that she does all these stupid things and plays them off like they're nothing. I guess when you're a gossiper and an Elite, you get the security that you won't get kicked out of the populars. Still, I guess if he has to put up with Wil, the least I can do is put up with L'Arachel.

"Oh, uh, I don't mind, Eddie. Just as long as you still have time for me, you can do whatever you want."

"Thank goodness. I didn't want to make you feel bad or anything." I was about to ask him why I would feel bad (as if I didn't already know), but was suddenly interrupted.

"Huh, Ewan, where did that come from?!" Gerik asked loudly, stealing everyone's attention.

"I dunno, I was just curious what you thought of my sister," replied the recently arrived, grade ten boy. "It's just a question, after all."

"I guess, but why'd you ask me?"

"Why're you getting all defensive?"

"I'm not, but it was such a random question!"

"Just answer it!"

"Okay, okay, relax, kiddo, sheesh. Tethys, huh? Shes… attractive, I guess. I don't really know her that well." I could see Marisa with an uncomfortable look on her face. Gerik was facing away from her, so he clearly didn't notice, and thus I was feeling a little peeved at Ewan for asking such an awkward question.

"Wanna go for a walk, Marisa?" asked Sumia. The pink-haired girl nodded, and the two of them stood to leave, tripping over multiple things on their way.

"Guess I should go after them, huh?" said Mia. She didn't need my response to get up and follow after. I watched them go, and was surprised to see Chrom leave his friends to also follow after Sumia. *Sigh* if only Wil would do that for me…

"Ewan!" shouted Amelia, giving him a light smack on the back of the head.

"Ow, what'd I do?!" he whined back, rubbing his head.

"Why'd you have to ask that, can't you see Marisa's upset?!"

"It's not my fault! Tethys wanted me to ask Gerik because she couldn't do it herself."

Gerik, who was now blushing and looking sad at the same time, lifted his gaze towards the two bickering kids. "Why would she ask you to do that? I hardly even know her! I may have talked to her once after a rugby game, but that's it!"

"I, uh, I can't tell you. She made me promise," Ewan responded. Amelia hit him in the head again. Ross looked like he was about to as well, but then suddenly dozed into a half sleep. Huh, kids these days, so weird.

Even though it was only halfway through the first day back, things were getting pretty drama-filled. Even from just looking around at our table, everyone seemed to be discussing something or other that was bothering them already. At the moment, the most interesting thing seemed to be that Nino had dragged Leo over to the quiet people table. I nudged Eddie and we shared a laugh for a moment or two while we stared at Leo's insanely uncomfortable expression. I didn't really get how Nino was so close with the quiet people, but they seemed to accept her. They weren't looking so pleased with Leo, however.

It was then that yet another unexpected sight caught my eye. She'd always been pretty in control of her emotions, so it was no surprise to see that she wasn't crying, but I don't think I'd seen Nephenee quite so upset before. Her blue beanie and white top were now covered in what appeared to be corn kernels, while her blue-green hair was drenched with corn slime. Okay, I know it's not the most important issue at hand, but who brings corn to school?

"Holy horsefeathers, Nephenee, why're ya covered in all that corn?!" shouted Donny, jumping from his seat. Putting their status as stepsiblings aside, it never ceased to amaze me how close they were.

"Don't git yerself all worked up now, Donny, I'm fine. Just some o' the JDB thinkin' it'd be funny to play a little prank on me."

"Oh, how awful," Natasha and Noire said in unison.

"Oooh, you just say who done it, Nephenee, and I'll go kick 'em in the keister. Ain't nobody messes with any sis o' mine."

"Leave it be, Donny, I'll be fine. I got a spare change o' clothes in my locker anyhow."

I turned to glance over in the direction from where she'd just come from. Truthfully, I didn't need to look over to get a hint of who did it, but I had to make sure I was right. Sure enough, a few of the populars over at one of their many tables were cracking up while replaying the events of what happened a few moments ago. Ugh, it's times like this that I'm disgusted to call Dart my brother. I don't know why he felt the need to be such a bully to everyone, but I hated him for it. On top of that, now I knew who the loser that brought corn to school was. Shucks, when we get home he's probably going to make corny jokes until my ears fall off… Whoa, that was way punnier than I meant it to be…

The bell rang to indicate the end of lunch. I quickly grabbed my bag and uneaten food, and got up with Eddie. With all that had gone on at lunch, I nearly forgot that we had business now. I guess it's a harder course than everything else I'm taking, so maybe it's okay if Eddie chooses not to talk to me as much. Besides, I know that attention whore, L'Arachel, would just try to steal him away from me anyway.

…That came out wrong; I didn't mean steal him away, just that she'd be… distracting him from paying attention in class. Yes, that's what I meant.

Whatever, Wil has a phone, so I'll just pull an Eddie and text all class. Besides, it'll give him more time with his precious L'Arachel. She's just going to tease him the whole time, so I think I'll be more disgusted watching that than paying attention to my phone… Oh, and I guess Anna, since she's the teacher…

The desks were all in groups of four, so Eddie and I took our seats by the one closest to the door. It was a good spot to see the board from, and we would be the first ones to leave. A few other people were scattered around the room, but it was still relatively empty at the moment. I waited to see if anyone else I knew would file into the room, but it was all people I hadn't talked to before.

"Heeeeeeey, Edward!" Oh, gods, she certainly knows how to make an entrance…

"L'Arachel!" he greeted happily, jumping up from his seat. I watched as they hugged and sat back down across from me.

"Hey, greeny!" she said to me, though it was a bit less enthusiastic and bubbly than her greeting to Eddie.

"Hey," I put on a fake smile, no use in coming off as the negative one, "it's Rebecca, by the way." Sheesh, she had green hair too, so it didn't exactly make sense to call me 'greeny'.

"Oops, haha, sorry, I can be such a scatterbrain sometimes," she laughed, leaning her head on Eddie's shoulder, causing him to blush profusely. Scatterbrain? More like total bimbo…

Okay, okay, I suppose I don't really have any legitimate reasons to dislike L'Arachel, but something about her just irks me. It's like, have you ever known someone nice who does something you don't like out of habit, and no matter how hard you try to get them to stop it they just can't? Think of it like knuckle cracking. No, knuckle cracking doesn't actually bother me, but it's the closest example I can think of. In that sense you could say that L'Arachel was like a constant knuckle-cracker, if by knuckle cracking I really mean Edward-teasing.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the two of them would make a cute couple… at least on the superficial level. I don't think their personalities mix well, but on the outside they look like two good ol' chums. I'm not going to deny that she's pretty, and Edward is certainly cute, so the two of them would be a cute couple from afar. Very afar…

I was broken out of my thoughts by the chair beside me squeaking. One of the quiet boys took a seat beside me and stared at nothing in particular. Apparently this was the last seat available; otherwise he would've sat somewhere else. Well, I should at least make conversation with this guy since I won't really get to talk much with Eddie.

"Hey, how's it going?" I said casually, giving him a soft smile.

"Don't talk to me," he grunted. Whoa, easy there, buddy. Damn, I was really hoping I would have someone to talk to for this class, but it looks like this guy's only here for learning. No matter, Rebecca Wildflower doesn't give up so easily in the face of adversity!

"Aw, but how are you supposed to meet new people with that attitude?"

"I don't."

"Don't you want to make friends?"

"No."

"But I don't bite. Am I bothering you?"

"Somewhat."

"Why, is it because I'm being talkative?"

"Ugh, this woman…"

"Oh, so you don't like talking to girls? I'm kinda tomboyish if that helps. Or I could act like a boy if you want."

"Don't."

Well, this certainly wasn't working. I sighed in defeat. I suppose I really would be learning in this class. The thought of doing actual schoolwork in high school makes me shudder. Only the nerds actually do their homework, and that's because they like it. I'm not stupid or anything, just admittedly lazy.

"Fine, well can you at least tell me your name?"

He hesitated before giving in, "Lon'qu."

At least I got that. Progress is progress after all. "Nice to meet you, Lon'qu, I'm Rebecca," I said, holding out my hand to shake his.

"Don't touch me."

I am not looking forward to this class at all…

* * *

Not gonna lie, I liked writing the first chapter better. This one seemed really rambly to me. Oh well, it should start picking up from here on out. I think it's because of the way I decided to characterize these two. Even though Leo is the serious one in their trio of best friends, I decided that the switching points of view needed to have a serious take (Rebecca) and a more humourous take (Edward) to contrast their personalities. That's not to say that Rebecca won't be funny or Edward serious, but from a general standpoint that's how things are probably going to work out in the future.

So, how'd this chapter go for all of you? I understand that the populars description felt more like a list than a description, but I didn't want to go too in depth about who each member was. I think my favourite part of that list was having Rebecca explain why Henry was in the gossipers. As I did for last chapter, a list of all the populars will be provided down below. I'm not sure whose POV the next chapter will be in, so I guess you'll just have to wait until I post it up!

Oh, and as a random note, I realize that halfway through I wrote something like 'Woman logic makes sense, thank you very much!', and I can wholeheartedly say that it does not. I just had to make Rebecca seem more believably like a girl :P

Thanks for reading! Please review and check out my soundcloud (link on profile)!

_-GengaJupite_

* * *

**Populars:  
**_Dancers  
_Feena (FE3,12)  
Lalum (FE6)  
Ninian (FE7)  
Tethys (FE8)  
Leanne (FE9)  
Olivia (FE13)

_Gossipers  
_Clarine (FE6)  
Serra (FE7)  
L'Arachel (FE8)  
Mist (FE9)  
Callil (FE9)  
Nowi (FE13)  
Lissa (FE13)  
Cynthia (FE13)  
Henry (FE13)

_JDB  
_Kleine (FE3, 12) Not to be confused with Klein, the male sniper from FE6. She's also known as Kuraine. She's also probably the hottest FE character I've seen since Sonia.  
Saul (FE6)  
Gonzales (FE6)  
Sain (FE7)  
Dart (FE7)  
Gatrie (FE9)  
Shinon (FE9)  
Largo (FE9)  
Heather (FE10)  
Inigo (FE13)  
Virion (FE13)  
Vaike (FE13)

_Elites  
_Marth (FE1,11)  
Caeda (FE1,11)  
Roy (FE6)  
Lilina (FE6)  
Eliwood (FE7)  
Lyn (FE7)  
Hector (FE7)  
Eirika (FE8)  
Ephraim (FE8)  
Tana (FE8)  
Joshua (FE8)  
Elincia (FE9)  
Chrom (FE13)  
Lucina (FE13)

_Drifters  
_Tiki (FE1,3,13) It should be noted that the Tiki in this story is based off the FE13 version  
Wil (FE7)  
Rennac (FE8)


	3. Playful Banter

Alright, now that I've established characters and potential plots, I can actually get into the story! (Which I still have no idea of how this will play out :P). I don't really know what else to say since I'm literally making this chapter up as I write it, so, yeah, I'll get to it!

Thanks for reviewing!

**BritRecon: **Well, at least you cleared up that it wasn't rambly! That was my biggest concern, as the first chapter seemed less rambly than chapter two did to me. I am planning to have some more Lord-related things in the future, so worry not! I also have a vague idea of Lon'qu's role in this story, so he will also be making appearances, probably alongside some of the other quiet characters.

**KiKat813: **Haha, yeah that would be pretty awkward… I did mention in the A/N of the first chapter that the second one would be Rebecca's POV, so make sure to check those! I will be sure to specify whose POV it will be from now on though.

**Bearclaw13: **I'm hoping that wasn't a sarcastic remark; I'm assuming it wasn't so I'll take it as a compliment and move on :P

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Playful Banter  
__(Edward)_

"Okay, everyone, remember to pick your partners for next week's assignment! I need to figure out who works the best so I can hire… I mean determine where everyone stands in the class…" Anna said as she dismissed us. She's such an obvious moneygrubber, and I can't fathom why she would take a low-paying teaching job when she could easily run her store all year round.

"Oh, Eddie, it's so great that we have PE together!" cheered L'Arachel, taking my arm in mock affection.

"Hehe, yeah, I'm looking forward to it," I chuckled while trying to hide my blush.

From the corner of my eye I could see Rebecca making gagging faces and pretending to shoot herself in the head. Normally I'd be annoyed, but I could pull the exact same moves in English. Besides, she seemed to be hitting it off with that quiet guy; well, as much as you can with a quiet person anyway.

The three of us took the outside path towards the gymnasium, as it was way less crowded than the hallways. L'Arachel kept spouting on and on about some things I had no idea about, so I just gave her an 'uh-huh' and a chuckle every once in a while. Bec was trying her best not to laugh at my apathetic attitude towards L'Arachel's rapid-fire speaking. Even though she was making fun of me, I still felt kinda bad for Rebecca; she seemed to be treating herself as a third wheel, which shouldn't happen since she's my best friend. I just couldn't find an opportunity to say anything to her what with L'Arachel's constant onslaught of words.

Actually, now that I think about it, it's really quiet out here. Why does it seem so quiet all of a sudden? There's still people walking around us, and usually a crowd would be noisier, so what's goi- oh, L'Arachel stopped talking… awkward…

I looked at her to see why she'd suddenly stopped babbling, but regretted my decision right away. Her eyes were glazed over in a dreamy way, and her face had a light pink complexion about it. I was pretty sure I knew why she'd be looking like that, and curiosity certainly killed this cat when I followed her gaze.

A few meters ahead of us, we could see Rennac and Shinon pestering Laurent over something. Seriously, L'Arachel, you find him attractive when he's being a bully?! How is seeing him pick on a helpless kid appealing in the slightest? Gods, I shouldn't be blaming her for liking him though, I should be stopping Rennac and Shinon. We might end up being a bit late for PE, but Kent shouldn't be too angry on the first day. He might make us run a couple extra laps, but that's it.

"Well, lookie here, Shinon, this geek's got some nice cash on him!" laughed Rennac as he held up a wallet. Rennac was known for his nimble fingers, so people were usually a little more cautious around him.

"Heh, what do eggheads need to spend their money on, anyway?" Shinon said as Rennac threw the wallet over to him.

"Cease this buffoonery at once!" Laurent called out anxiously. "I have belongings of great importance in there!"

"Really? I didn't think someone like you would get so attached to your dough!" said Rennac, catching the wallet as Shinon tossed it back to him. It was essentially a game of keep away, and Laurent was never going to get it back at this rate.

"Urk, you misunderstand me!" Laurent said as he unsuccessfully attempted to intercept another toss. "I have important data for my latest experiment in there. Without it, my research will go to waste!"

"Aw, it's a shame you can't just get it back!" Shinon laughed as he lobbed it over Laurent's head.

"Hey, give his wallet back!" I called, interrupting the scene taking place.

"Tch, buzz off, shrimp, can't you see we're busy here?" the pink-ponytailed bully attempted to shoo me away.

"Oh, you better watch out, Shinon," Rennac snickered, "it looks like Eddie here brought some backup!"

They both laughed as Rebecca came up to my side. L'Arachel was apparently still too captivated by Rennac to consider helping us. Man, if she could just give me one good reason why she's into him. Honestly, he's not even one of the better-looking guys at our school… not that I'd know who is…

"Guys, give Laurent back his wallet, this is uncool," said Rebecca, an angry look on her face.

"Ha! What would you know about being cool?" Shinon laughed in her face. "You think you can just convince me to give this back?"

"No, but I have an idea that will get Rennac to," she said flatly. The four guys, Laurent and myself included, all looked at her incredulously.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you prove it?" said Rennac, smirking that stupid Rennac smirk of his.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," she said, matching his smirk in a much prettier Rebecca-type smirk. "Oh, L'Aracheeeeeel! Rennac says he wants to speak to yoooou!"

All of us had to cover our ears as the girl squealed and quickly sprinted towards us. "EeeeeeeeeEEEEeeeEEEEEEEEEEEE E! I'm coming, Rennac!"

"Gods dammit, you're a real bitch you know that!" Rennac cursed at Rebecca before shoving the wallet into Laurent's chest and running from his squealing fangirl. Shinon snorted and headed off in some other direction, probably to skip class because that's how he rolls apparently.

"You okay, Laurent?" I asked when only the three of us remained.

"Y-yes, I appear to be just fine. You have my heartfelt thanks, Edward and Rebecca, and I beg your forgiveness for causing the both of you to be tardy for your next class."

"Ah, don't worry about it," said Rebecca, patting him on the shoulder, "just doing our part to help out s'all."

"Well, that is certainly most gracious of you, but I'm afraid I've kept you longer than intended. If you'll excuse me."

We headed our separate ways, Rebecca and I feeling better about ourselves. I didn't bother waiting up for L'Arachel, since she was probably going to chase Rennac until he went to class. Well, it's nice to have some alone time with Bec, after all, drama's pretty much the only class where someone else won't distract us. Oh, that's right, Wil's in our PE class… Damn.

"You okay, Eddie?" she asked as we entered the building.

"Yeah, I just forgot that Wil's in our gym class is all. We really don't have much time to talk to each other except for lunch and drama."

"I suppose, but don't worry, you can always hang out with Mia and Leo in PE! And besides, you've still got your _girlfriend_ too."

The blush on my face made her giggle, and I silently cursed. She just _had_ to word it that way so that I would look like an idiot. It's not like she's never seen me get embarrassed, but I'd prefer if I could keep my pseudo-manly rep around her. Maybe if I didn't spend so much time around her, she wouldn't know what makes me tick. Then again, I know just as much about her. Now's not the time, but one of these days ohohoho yes…

Luckily we were able to change and sneak in before Kent was finished speaking about the curriculum. We quickly found Mia (thanks to her bright gym clothes) sitting near the back with Leo. I couldn't help noticing Rebecca looking around as we sat down with our friends. Well, if there was ever a time to embarrass her, now was the time.

"What's up, Bec? Looking for your _boyfriend_?"

"Yup."

…She wasn't supposed to say that so straightforwardly… Man, she either wasn't listening properly or was growing immune to my japes. No, I refuse to believe that she's beaten me at my own game! I could never be out-embarrassed by someone as… as… as Rebecca as Rebecca. Shut up, it makes sense!

"Heh, bet you weren't expecting that answer, were you, Eddie?" Leo chuckled.

"No, but it's only a minor setback. She'll be blushing once I figure out something else to do."

"You're such a weirdo, Eddie," said Mia, tousling my hair.

A few minutes and failed attempts at embarrassing Rebecca later, Kent had us get up to do a few laps around the field. Being that it's only the first day, there isn't really much else we can do. I'm just glad that Leo, Rebecca, Mia, and I are all about as athletic as each other. I'd hate to be that one overweight, out-of-shape kid in the class *cough cough* Gheb *cough*.

"That's strange," Rebecca muttered more to herself than any of us.

"What's up, Bec?"

"I haven't seen Wil at all since we got in. I would've thought he'd be easier to spot once we started running laps."

Gah, I knew Wil would have something to do with this. Leave it to him to make Rebecca worry when he's not even around. Well, I suppose I'd better say something comforting. I don't know what sort of things a person can say in this situation, but I guess I can come up with something or other…

"Uh, maybe he's just late or something. He's probably just… uh… y'know… uh… not, um… here right now…" Wow, I am terrible at this whole reassuring thing.

Lucky for me, she just giggled at my attempt. "Eddie, sometimes you're a real dork, but that's what I love about you!"

"Hey there, Rebecca. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Wil!"

Well, at least I got her to laugh before he showed up. Gods know if I'd be able to even talk to her with Wil around. I'm curious as to what kept him anyway. Usually he and Bec would be psyched to spend time with each other.

"I would've gotten here sooner, but I ran into a spot of trouble. Rennac and L'Arachel kind of ran into me while I was heading here and I basically had to pry her away from him." Wil glanced over at me for a second and smirked. "Oh, sorry to say that out loud around you, Eddie. Don't worry, she's here somewhere."

I could feel my face growing hot, but I'm hoping it looked like it was just from running. Stupid Wil with his stupid… stupidness… He's not being quite so smug since he's not with his buddies, but I guess this is more or less his personality now. And to think he used to be so friendly and not douche-y.

Oof, someone just jumped on me! Micaiah again? I didn't know she was in this class.

"Guess whooooo!"

Oh, nevermind then…

"You've got a lot of nerve ditching me back there!" L'Arachel laughed, continuing to ride me… Gods, why did I have to think of it that way?! Think of other things, think of other things; crying puppies, papercuts, spinach, L'Arachel riding me… DAMMIT!

"W-whaddya mean?! You ran off to chase Rennac!"

"Hmm, true, but that doesn't mean you had to let me run for so long!"

Ugh, what is her logic? Somehow it's my freaking fault that she chased her douchebag crush and didn't make it in time for class? Hold up, I know I saw more populars in this class, so why is she hanging out with me? I mean I don't mind that she's riding- WHAT THE HELL, BRAIN, STOP IT!

"Well, don't you two just make the cutest couple!" a different high-pitched voice said from behind me.

"Awwww, they're adorable, aren't they?"

"Ike never told me they were together! Oh, I'm gonna hit him for this!"

Behind me (other than L'Arachel) were Serra, Nowi, and Mist, all of whom seemed to have taken an interest in my piggybacking of their friend. Personality-wise, Serra and L'Arachel are pretty much twins. I haven't really gotten to know the pink-haired girl on as much of a personal level, but from what I know she's the same in almost every aspect, not that I have a thing for her too. Nowi's a bit less obnoxious, but she never seems to run out of energy. All she ever wants to do is play around. Out of the three of them, I probably know Mist the best, though, since she's Ike's sister. I like her because she doesn't treat me like I'm some weird low-status kid, but I suppose that I have my friendship with Ike to thank for that.

Hey, I just kinda thought about it, but where did Leo and Mia go? I know Bec and Wil ran off ahead, but… oh, wait, nevermind; Leo and Mia are up there with them. Sheesh, I didn't realize how much I would slow down with L'Arachel on me… Seriously?! That's even worse than saying she's riding me! Well, maybe not…

"Heehee, well, Eddie, it sounds like we make a cute couple," she teased, squeezing tighter around me. Sometimes I hate how much of a flirt she can be.

"Hehe, uh, yeah. I g-guess I never thought of us that way…" Smooth, Eddie. I'm not exactly the best liar in the world.

"Oh, that's too bad, because I spend _all_ my time thinking about you," she whispered in my ear. Damn my male teenage hormones! I can almost _see_ the testosterone radiating off of me.

"I-I-I… I d-don't know what… what t-to say." Well, the truth is always better than lying; even if you make yourself sound like a doofus.

"Aww, I didn't mean to embarrass you, Eddie Weddie. I'll let you get back to your friends then. I've got a lot to tell mine about a certain piggybacker."

I saw her wink as she hopped off my back and slowed to jog with her friends. Why must you insist on teasing me, L'Arachel? I don't know if it would be better or worse if she knew I liked her. She's the type of person who could either make things more awkward by purposely flirting more or feeling too uncomfortable around me to continue doing so. Or if I get my hopes up I can say that she's doing it because she likes me too… Yeah, yeah, that would be taking it a little far; after all, you all saw her chase after Rennac.

Well, now I'm not really sure what to do because my friends are on the opposite side of the track. I don't wanna stay at this pace until they catch up or it'll make me look like I'm trying to eavesdrop on L'Arachel, but if I start running I'll be going the same pace as my friends, so we'll never reach the same point. I could always walk, but then that would make me like Gheb. Gross. I guess there's no harm in running a bit faster.

Holy… crap… are they… trying… *huff*… to avoid me *pant*?! I've spent the past, I dunno, fourteen minutes or something trying to catch up to them! I actually surprised myself with how long I've been able to keep this faster pace up, but it looks like they've been trying to match my speed. Either that or they got more athletic, but I refuse to believe that Leo is faster than me! Mia, okay, she's always been faster than me, but Leo has always been the slower one!

"You look tired, Eddie!"

Huh? I guess I'd been so caught up in my attempt to catch up to Leo and Mia that I didn't even realize that Wil and Rebecca were way ahead of them. In fact, they just lapped me. How did that even happen?!

"When'd you get so fast, Bec?!"

"Haha, unlike you, Edward, I actually kept myself in shape over the summer. I didn't get faster, and neither did Leo or Mia, you just got slower!"

Ouch, you don't mess around, greeny; straight for the heart, as they say. And, pfft, whatever, summertime is the time to laze about, not get all hot and sweaty working out in the sun! I didn't stop working out, either; I had other obligations is all… Besides, I made it to the gym ten times! …Okay, fine, maybe it was five… ugh, sometimes I hate you people; fine, it was two, are you happy now?! Wipe that smug look off your face, you're just a nerd reading fanfiction on the Internet when you could be working out too, so ha! Apply cold water to burned area (tssss)!

"That hurts me, Rebecca, right in here," I said in mock pain, pointing to my heart.

"That's because your heart isn't used to pumping so fast from all this running," she giggled.

Geez, I must say, she is on a roll today. I had to laugh along with her because it the joke was just so opportune. And who was I to complain that she was joking with me when she could easily fawn and get all googly-eyed with Wil? Seems to me like the best friend comes out on top. Aw yeah, take that, Wil!

PE went by relatively quickly, as it was mostly spent just playing a few team games out on the field. Usually Kent is more rigourous with his classes, so I'm hoping that we can have simple days like this for the rest of the week. After quickly getting changed, I waited outside the main entrance of the fitness building for Leo, Mia, and Rebecca. There was no reason to wait around inside the stuffy gym on a day like this anyway.

"Hey, Eddie," said a voice from the side. I looked over to see a few of my friends with their bags all packed up.

"Hey, Sothe, Micaiah, Noire. You guys all just have class together?"

"Yeah, business with Merlinus. Be real with me, Eddie, is Anna a better teacher than him?" asked Sothe.

"Uh, well, Merlinus is always nervous and jumpy, but Anna is a little obsessive about profitable businesses. They kind of have their pros and cons, so I wouldn't really say either one is better than the other."

"Damn, I was thinking of switching…"

"Anyway," Micaiah interrupted her boyfriend's thought, "we actually came to tell you something."

"Um, we're all planning to go to the beach one last time this weekend while the weather's still warm," Noire said quietly. "That is, if you want to…"

I don't know if this is the right time to say this, or if it makes me sound weird, but Noire is really cute. I don't think I'd ever date her, but if you took away the psycho anger issues and severe lack of confidence I'd say that she's definitely one of the more attractive girls at our school. I know it's probably due to her anemia and really small appetite, but her body is like a supermodel's. Odd as it may sound, the thought of seeing her in a bikini is pretty, well, great. Then again, I find most of my close female friends highly attractive. There's nothing wrong with thinking all of your close female friends are hot, right? Right.

"Yeah, I'm down for that!" I said, causing them all to smile in return.

"Great!" cheered Micaiah. "Would you mind letting the others know? We're actually trying to find everyone else right now, but it'd be easier if you could spread the word too."

"Leave it to me!" I assured her. She thanked me, and the three of them headed off to go find the others.

I filled in Leo, Bec, and Mia with our plans for the weekend and they all seemed glad to get the whole gang together for one big beach party. It isn't easy to get everyone together for something, so when the odd time like this strikes up it's refreshing. The additional fact that I get to see all of my hot chick friends in bikinis is just an added bonus. I mean I know she's Gerik's and all (sort of), but Marisa in a two-piece is every guy's dream, and don't even get me started on Natasha. Man, the more I think about this beach day, the more I'm looking forward to it!

"Eddie, quit being a pervert!" Mia said randomly.

"W-what?! Where did that come from?" And more importantly, how did you know what I was thinking about?

"Please, guys are so typical!" she laughed. "I had a hunch that that dumb grin on your face was because you were thinking about _naughty_ things. Judging from your reaction, I'd say I was pretty close to the mark."

"I… I always smile, Mia!"

It was a weak attempt to justify my 'pervert' grin, but I had to say something. Sometimes I think Mia knows me just as well as Rebecca does. I wonder if Bec knew what I was thinking too? Besides, they were probably thinking about all of us hunky guys in our trunks. Aw, yeah, they can't handle the 130 lbs. of pure man right here! Hmm, I haven't seen Mia or Bec in a swimsuit in a while. Well, I won't have to wait long to see them. Nice.

"Ew, Eddie, stop it!" giggled Rebecca. "You're grinning again!"

"I'm not! I just said I always smile! L-look, Leo's smiling too!"

"No, I'm not…" Thanks for the backup 'best-friend'. You've officially been demoted to close acquaintance.

"Heehee, relax, Eddie, we're just teasing," chuckled Mia, lightly elbowing me in the side.

"Besides," added Rebecca, "you were probably just thinking about L'Arachel again. Probably wanted to invite her to the beach so you could see her in a swimsuit, eh?"

Huh, it's funny that I hadn't thought of that. I wasn't planning on inviting her to the beach since it's just our main circle of friends, but the thought of her in a bathing suit is still… intriguing. Wow, I hadn't even given any thought to the popular girls! Maybe I should see if Ike would get some of them to come too…

"You're hopeless, you know that?" said Leo, interrupting my pleasant thoughts.

"Hey, thinking about half-naked girls is normal for a teenage guy, Leo, so I guess you aren't one!" Finally, a chance to retaliate! Take that, blondie!

"Oh, don't get me wrong, that was the first thought to cross my mind when you mentioned the beach, but I'm not stupid enough to make my thoughts painfully obvious." And the scores are tied again… Although, isn't it kind of paradoxical (ooh, fancy word) for him to tell me he isn't painfully obvious right after blatantly saying he was also thinking about girls? If Leo were a knight, he'd be known for his iron knee (give it a second… badum tss).

"I can not believe I'm friends with you guys," Mia joked, "I mean, you're so open about your perversion!"

"Aw, don't be so hard on them, Mia," said Rebecca, smiling as she wrapped her arms around Leo and my shoulders, "they're just a couple of happy-go-lucky guys who are terrible at hiding their thoughts from smart girls like us!"

I don't know if she just complimented us or called us stupid, so I'm going to assume the former because I assume Bec is nicer than that. Actually, I wouldn't put it past her to outright call us stupid perverts. Sometimes you've just got to grin and bear it (although the grinning part should be used conservatively); after all…

Life can be a real beach.

* * *

Wow, I had no idea what direction to take this chapter, but I knew that I wanted the group to go to the beach at some point. I must apologize if you disliked the randomness of this chapter, but my plot outline is ridiculously miniscule. Actually, I'm just gonna go ahead and say that the first bullet point on my outline says 'no discernable plot to follow'. In my mind that means have a general story to go through (obviously revolving around Edward and Rebecca) while many other side stories are going on. I realize that might steer people away, but I guess it's my own fault for not planning this out better :P.

Anyway, if in doubt I can always take some time to create a viable plot and if worse comes to worst I'll just restart this story. But lemme know how you thought this chapter went! I've been proven wrong about my thoughts on a chapter as opposed to the readers', so it would be great if you let me know in your reviews!

And don't forget to check out my soundcloud (link on my profile). I just posted a new song, and it's quite inspired by _**Don't You Dare Mock My Sister's Words!**_ It doesn't really sound the same, but that's where I drew most of my inspiration.

So, yeah, see you next chapter!

_-GengaJupite_


	4. It's a Little Sandy: Part I

Okay, everyone, it's time for some freaking plot development! Haha, I understand that this chapter seems incredibly long, but I wanted some of the little subplots to be addressed more. Obviously the main plot is going to progress as well, but considering it's just Edward and Rebecca's love lives evolving throughout the school year there is quite a bit of wiggle room for how they'll actually get through it. Anyway, I don't want to say too much right now, so I'll just get on with this!

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Bearclaw13: **Don't worry about that review, I wasn't offended or anything :P. If anything, I'm grateful for your continued support and hope to hear more from you in the future!

**BritRecon: **I swear I read the first part of your review at least a dozen times, and it never failed to make me laugh. I find myself surprised each time I look at your profile to see that you still have yet to post a story. Hopefully it isn't just me who finds your comments hilarious, because I think it would come across well in your stories! Anyway, I couldn't think of anything else for this chapter, so your wish for the beach scene is granted!

Note: I mentioned before that the chapters may not alternate back and forth between Edward and Rebecca, and this is a prime example of what I mean, since last chapter was Eddie and this chapter is also him. Next one is definitely Rebecca though.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one. I also don't own any of the songs mentioned.

* * *

_It's a Little Sandy: Part I  
__(Edward)_

Woo! It's finally Saturday and I am SO pumped to have the whole day off! Even better, I'm ready to go beach bummin' for a little while. That's right, everybody, it's beach day! Gonna work on my tan, and get all the chicks staring! All I have to do is make sure Ike, Boyd, Gerik, Sothe… okay, quite a few of the guys I hang out with have to be out of view, but then I'll be the one with the nicest body! Too bad no one has a boat… _I got my swim trunks and my flippy floppies!_

Haha, in case you didn't notice, I'm kind of a beach fanatic. There's nothing quite like soaking up some rays while bumming around with your buddies. If we lived somewhere tropical I'd probably spend all my time there. Hell, I'd be that one hobo who picks up everyone's cans and stuff because I live at a beach. That's how much I like it… I should probably see a psychiatrist about this… Nope, beaches are more important than my mental health!

A honk from out front caught my attention. I guess I forgot to mention who's driving us…

"Eddie, let's go, Ike and Soren are out front!" Leo yelled from downstairs. I could see him checking himself out in the mirror. Ha! I always knew he was secretly narcissistic.

"I'll be down in a sec!" I called back. I had to make sure I had everything. Towel, check; flip-flops, check; shirt, pfft… in my bag. I think that's- OH! How could I forget my shades?! My beautiful aviators! I'm sorry, babies!

Another honk. Sheesh, Ike, can't you wait, like, five seconds? Oh right, I guess I made it seem like it was a big deal that Ike's driving us. Well, you'd be psyched too if you were going to the beach in a mother effing Maserati! How'd he afford a convertible GranTurismo? Hell, if I knew that, I'd be working my way to doing it too. Such is life though. I suppose I should be glad that I even have a car… I just wish it weren't some beat up old… you know, I don't even know what it is. Truth be told, I'm not a huge car person, so I can't tell what a car is just by looking at it; especially if the little emblem-thing falls off like it did for mine…

"Geez, finally," said Leo as I bounded down the stairs.

"I was just giving you some more time to check yourself out." Yeah, take that, Leo.

"Fair enough," he chuckled with a shrug as we headed out the door. See? Total narcissist.

As soon as we got out the front door, Ike started blasting some song that my whole neighbourhood could probably hear. He shuffled through a few before we got to the car. I almost pissed myself laughing at the one he chose. Usually Ike is a lot more… reserved, but it looked like he was ready to have some fun today. I just wasn't expecting him to play Pussycat by Günther and the Sunshine Girls. Leo, on the other hand, was a little less impressed, and by little I mean it looked like he was reconsidering going to the beach. Soren's quite the stoic, but he looked pretty awkward about the song choice too.

"What's up, boys?" Ike said as we hopped into the backseat. "Ready to party it up?"

"Hell yeah!" I cheered, fist-bumping him.

"Oh, yeah, that cooler between you guys is full of brews. I thought I'd make this party a little more interesting!"

I lifted the lid of the rather large cooler to take in the sight of a surprising number of beers smiling back at me. Yeah, we're underage, but it's high school. Even the nerdy kids have a drink every now and then. It's usually wine with their parents, but that isn't the point here.

"Won't we get caught?" asked Leo as Ike started driving. "We're gonna be in public. And you're driving!"

"Leo, relax, man," chuckled the blue-haired driver, "we aren't coming back until probably late tonight and it's only ten a.m. By then, I'm sure I'll be sober enough to drive us all back after we've had a good time. Besides, if in doubt we can always camp out at the beach."

"Okay, well what about the publicity of our underage drinking?!"

"We've got some can covers for you guys. I'm pretty sure most of us look legal age, anyway. You two, Rebecca, Nino, Donny, Ross, Ewan, Amelia, and Micaiah are the only ones who might seem suspicious I'd say, but if we're all in a group then I doubt anyone's gonna call the cops."

"Still…"

"You forget, Leo," Soren added, "that we're going to a beach mainly occupied by teens and young adults. If anything, they're all going to be doing the same things as us." Heh, always quick to back up Ike, eh, Soren?

"That's true…" Wow, Leo doesn't usually get this nervous about drinking. Well, now that I think about it, the only time he does is when…

"Dude!" I exclaimed from my epiphany. "Leo, are you freaking out because Nino's gonna be drinking too?!"

"What?! N-no way! What should I care if she's all drunk and flirty and teasing me and…" He kept rambling different things, but the blush on his face said it all. Daaamn, Leo, still too scared to hook up with her?

"Aw, that's cute," Ike jeered, "the two lightweights are gonna be all over each other in public. Just remember to keep it PG, Leo; we wouldn't want any scarring images for some of the younger kids."

"That goes for you too, Eddie," chuckled Soren.

"Huh, what're you talking about? It's not like I have a thing for anyone in our group."

"Oh, uh," said Ike, glancing at me in the rearview, "I maybe forgot to say that some of the popular people heard about our plans and decided to show up. I didn't want them to find out, but the Shameless Six caught wind, so they're definitely gonna be there."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" I tried to rewind him for a second. "Are you saying that _L'Arachel_ is going to be there too?!"

"Well, yeah. From what I know, most of the Gossipers, all the Dancers, a few of the Elites, and only the Shameless Six from JDB are coming. I think Wil might be there too." Great, because I wanted to spend my fun beach day around Wil and the Shameless Six…

"Don't blame Ike, Eddie," said Soren, backing him up as usual, "I'm sure that with the last few days of sunny weather we were bound to run into some of them at the beach on a Saturday."

I couldn't argue with that; sometimes Soren is too sensible. I doubt anyone has ever won an argument against him, especially if it has to do with Ike. I'd call him Ike's lackey, but Soren doesn't really do anything other than back up Ike's ideas and stuff. Whatever, I suppose none of those people Ike mentioned will give me too much trouble. The Shameless Six won't even bother me since I'm a guy, and Wil is either gonna spend all his time flirting with Rebecca or chilling with his own friends. All the others are pretty cool, so I don't mind seeing them once we get there.

After a twenty-minute car ride to the beach, we were ready to get it started! I guess it's still too early for a lot of teens because there were hardly any cars in the parking lot. I saw Gerik's pickup, Kris's SUV, and Natasha's VW Bug, so I guess we're probably still waiting on most of the others to show up.

I tried to lift the cooler, but I had no idea that beers and ice packs could be so heavy. Seriously, this freaking plastic box must've weighed like eight hundred pounds! Well, not literally, but it was stupidly heavy. How are we supposed to drink if the cooler… nevermind… Ike's got it…

"You should go to the gym some more, runt," Ike laughed as he closed the top to his car and locked it. Hey, I already talked about the gym last chapter; I'm not gonna hurt people's feelings again.

Much like the parking lot, the beach was pretty empty. I figure it's only gonna be like this for the next hour at most. I never realized how bright the sand is when there aren't people running around all over it. Thank the gods I remembered my shades. Not only do they look badass, but they have a real life function too! Who woulda thunk it? Yeah, be jealous, Leo; I see you squinting and holding your hand up as if you're saluting everyone you turn towards for shade. Hah, I bet you can't even tell that I'm looking at you right now. Yeah, boy, you can't handle the shades!

"There they are," said Soren, pointing to a group of people close to the water. From what I could make out, it was all guys. Dude, no one called for a sausage fest! And I definitely saw Natasha's car…

"Yo, guys!" said Boyd as we got closer. "You got the stuff, Ike?"

"You know it!" said Ike, placing the cooler on the ground beside two others.

"Filled to the brim?" asked Gerik.

"Yeah, man! Same for you guys?"

"Damn straight!" the two green-haired, muscleheads cheered.

"Oh man, we are gonna get hammed up in here!" Ike laughed, opening his cooler. "Yo, Eddie, Leo, Soren, ready for beer number one of the day?"

Soren passed on it, but Leo and I exchanged one glance with each other and grinned at Ike, catching the two beers he tossed our way. He tossed two more to Boyd and Gerik before pulling out one for himself. I started wondering where Kris and his crew were until I saw him, Robin, and Mark heading towards us with- holy mother of Ashera, _another_ cooler?!

"Yeeeeeaaah, buddy!" Boyd laughed as the three of them set their cooler down along with four Costco-sized bags of chips. Geez, if it wasn't a party before, it certainly was now. Where the hell did they get all this beer from?!

"Soren, you can't sit this one out, we've all gotta chug the first beer together!" Kris beckoned him.

"I'm not a huge drinker like you guys…" Soren responded.

"Don't be a bitch, Soren!" laughed Mark, tossing him a beer which he was forced to catch.

"Look, I think it'd balance out better if I stayed sober for now. Maybe later-"

"Soren, Soren, Soren," started Robin, "there's nothing to balance out. If there were, I'd say that it's time to tip the scales."

"You say that for everything we do, Robin… But I suppose you won't leave me alone until I do… Fine, but only this one until later… maybe."

The eight of us cheered, though Leo did so less enthusiastically, and all nine of us guys raised our beers to the sky. Clicking them open, Kris gave the countdown, and the chugging began. Now, I may not be the biggest guy around, but I can assure you that I'm at least a middleweight. Leo, on the other hand, needs maybe two beers to reach the tipsy stage, and he's pretty much drunk at four. I don't think Soren particularly likes drinking, and the sound of him sputtering and coughing almost made me join him out of laughter.

"WOO! DONE!" cheered Ike, crushing the can and tossing it in an empty garbage bag we'd set aside for cans; Boyd and Gerik followed suit about half a second after him.

Seriously, those three can down a can in three seconds flat. I think the bubbles would hurt my throat too much if I tried to do that… Hold that thought for a sec. Oh, man, I'm gonna break my record! Go, go, go, go! Yeah, nine seconds, bro! That's a whole one second faster than before! Today's gonna be a good day, I can tell already.

Once we were all done (Soren took a full minute; c'mon, man, even Leo beat you, and he took twenty-six seconds!) we all laughed and joked around for a bit. I was still wondering where all the girls were. If you remember my reason for wanting to come to the beach, you'll know that wondering where the girls are is necessary. There's nothing wrong with chilling with a bunch of guys and some beers, but I'd rather have at least _one_ chick here.

"Holy shit," Gerik half squeaked while he stared at something behind me, "going in the water! Gotta hide my… I mean cool off for a sec!" and with that he booked it to the water.

I would've asked what that was about until I saw Boyd and Ike look up, go wide-eyed, and book it to the water soon after screaming 'Fffffffuuuuuuuu-'. Honestly, I don't understand what's going on. The four school tacticians looked behind us and instantly turned the other way, though they didn't run off like the other three had. I could see all of them blushing madly though. Okay, this is getting stupid; what the hell is behind me?! I'll just turn around and-

Sweet merciful Yune, you have got to be fucking kidding me right now. Am I in heaven or is this some beautiful trick to my eyes? Can't… look… away… but I have to! No, curses! Damn my teenage hormones! Oh, gods, now I know why they ran! I'm not as composed as Soren or the other three. Sorry, Leo, but I've gotta run to the water. Let's just hope I can make it! Ruuuuun!

I splashed into the chilly water, shivering but glad to have made it away from the tempting sights back there. Wading over to the three rugby players, I heard Leo splash into the water just a few seconds after me.

"Couldn't handle it either, huh, Eddie?" chuckled Gerik.

"Dude, if she wasn't already yours, I would go for her in a heartbeat," I answered.

Yeah, so if you didn't guess, basically we saw Marisa heading towards us. Now normally seeing her walking toward us wouldn't mean anything, but we don't typically get the privilege, no, the _gift_ of seeing her in a strapless bikini. Holy Naga, I don't think any of us have seen her in a bikini for a couple years! She was at a gymnastics tournament with Sumia last year, so they were pretty much gone all summer. Obviously we've all seen her in a unitard, but there's something about seeing actual skin that makes me go crazy.

Well… I just kind of realized that we all ran into the water to hide our chubs… and now we're all standing around each other talking about it… this isn't gay, is it? I'm no homophobe, but the idea of standing in a circle with four other guys in our specific situation is kinda… uncomfortable

"Yo… she's not my girl, you know," Gerik said while sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Still, Gerik?!" Leo butted in, having just joined the circle. "When are you gonna get on that?!"

Not gonna lie, it's pretty funny that Leo is buzzed off of one beer; he wouldn't normally talk to people like this. Then again, talking about getting with Marisa (as in asking out; geez, you people and your dirty minds) is something worth getting worked up over. Still, I have to agree with Leo, how could Gerik _not_ want to ask her out after seeing her like that?!

"I just… we… we're close friends is all…" said the muscular moss-head, slowly descending into the water.

We all shared a few awkward glances before Boyd broke the silence. "Heh, a moment of silence for our brother in the friendzone."

Gerik splashed some water at Boyd's face, but the rest of us cracked up. Hey, it's kinda true. I mean he could easily get out of the friendzone since they both like each other a lot, but for whatever reason he wants to stay in it. Man, not to seem awkward, but that's opening the door for many other guys to swoop in and take her. I'm sure Tethys would be happy. I can't think of any other reason that she made Ewan ask Gerik those weird questions if she didn't like him.

"Hey, guys, c'mere!" we heard Marisa shout from the sand. We all looked back to see her waving from the distance. Looks like Sumia, Mia, Noire, and Natasha all just showed up too. Wait, why is it that Nino is never-

"LEOOOO!"

Sploosh, water collision with the green-haired maniac. Good thing Leo is buzzed or he might not have taken that dunk so well. They both emerged panting; their hair dripping while Nino tightly gripped the blond. He wasn't blushing as much as I thought he might be, but I could probably change that if I told her why exactly he was in the water. Oh, if only I were evil. It'd be so funny too. Can you imagine Nino's face if I told her that Leo ran into the water because he's hiding the boner he got from seeing Marisa in a swimsuit? I don't know if she'd be shocked, angry, upset, or laughing her head off. You never can tell with Nino.

We decided to leave the two lightweight lovebirds in the water as we slowly waded back towards the beach. Hopefully now that I've seen Marisa I can control my… male instincts… Well, it certainly seemed to be working, and I just had to pray that none of the other girls caused me to do so. Dammit, why do all my chick friends have to be so hot?! It's a good thing Noire is shy; every chick on the planet will hate me for how insensitive I sound, but she's got one of the biggest racks I've ever seen. If she were more of a flirtatious girl, then I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be getting out of the water until it was time to leave. Teenage hormones, whyyyyy?!

"Thanks for ditching right when I got here!" said Marisa as we got into the shallow water. Hey, Marisa, if you were one of us and you just saw… you, then I don't think you'd be questioning us for running into the water so quick.

"How's the water, guys?" asked Mia. She was in a neon green tankini, which seems suitable since she likes to stand out. Mia's no Marisa, but she certainly has a nice body. I'd say a solid eight out of ten. Oh, what's Marisa you ask? Let's see, I'd give her a 43578q340984850943732845 out of ten. Yeah, she's so hot that there's a Q in that number.

"It's a little chilly," I said, "but once you get in it-"

And then everything went… blue? I could feel my whole body tense up from the chilly waters surrounding it. How did I not see that coming? Oh, whoever tackled me is so in for it. I just wish I could see them… Man, this water hasn't had enough time to warm up. My nipples could cut glass right now! After a few seconds underwater, I emerged and frantically looked for my attacker. A cap-wearing head of green hair popped up beside me and I felt the urge to laugh.

"Rebecca!"

"Heehee, you looked so vulnerable, I couldn't help myself," she laughed, kicking some water up at me.

"Heh, fair enough, but don't think I won't get you back for this!"

"We'll see about that. How long have you guys been here?" she asked.

"Only about twenty minutes. Gerik and some of the others were here already when we showed up. Who drove you?"

"Sothe. I guess Mia showed up with Marisa and Sumia a little before we did. It looks like everyone's here now, though."

Looking over, I could see that she was right. We both stood up and headed back to the growing arrangement of towels and people. I smirked and shook my head at the next thing I saw. Okay, seriously, I know we were planning on staying until tonight, but I don't think we necessarily needed to have coolers number five and six. I'm guessing Sothe must've brought one of them and Mia probably brought the other. Damn, that means that Mia's possibly stronger than me if she can lift a cooler… Ouch, my pride.

Now that we're out of the water, I can actually use this moment to take in the scenery. I've already seen a bit of it, but new things appear all the time. Ah, if you look over there, you may spot the elusive blue Nephenee. While usually dressed in attire that would shield her body, the Nephenee breaks out of her shell when in the hotter beach region, adorning a simple blue bikini. What's this? Doth mine eye deceiveth me? The legendary hand-tattooed Micaiah seems to be getting closer to the common green Sothe. With her white swimsuit matching her silvery hair, it's no wonder that the Sothe seems to be enjoying his time. Though petite in stature, the Micaiah is certainly a beautiful creature.

But now my eyes focus on the one target for which they have not seen at the beach in some time. We simply refer to this creature as the Wildflower, or more commonly known as Rebecca. I must admit, the backwards cap is a new look for her, but she can pull it off quite well. A brown bikini with a single pink flower design on the top and bottom make for a good overall look. She certainly is pretty, and it's interesting to see her with her hair down instead of in braids.

"You know, Eddie, just because you have sunglasses on doesn't mean I can't tell when you're checking me out," she giggled, breaking my thorough observation of nature.

"Who said I was trying to hide it?" I said back, smirking devilishly.

"Haha, you're such a perv, you know that?!"

"Yeah, but at least I don't have to put up with a pervert for a best friend."

"You think I'm that innocent? Gee, that's a relief, because doing this wouldn't be quite so funny if you thought I was one too."

"What wouldn't be so funn- Yow! Did… did you just squeeze my ass?!"

She didn't answer, and instead ran away laughing. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to give chase or not, but I decided to anyway. No one squeezes this fine ass and gets away with it! I'm not gonna squeeze hers back or something. There's kind of a double standard on doing that, but I still owe her a dunk in the water.

Well, I would've given her what for if Ross didn't smack me in the face with a beach ball. "Sorry, Eddie!" he shouted as I tossed it back.

I couldn't see where she went, so I decided to take a seat next to Donny and Mark. "What's up, guys?" I said.

"Sup, Eddie," said Mark, passing me a beer from one of the numerous coolers. Wait, I must've missed one earlier because now I'm counting seven…

"Y'all been drinkin' this whole time?" asked Donny.

"Well, I've only had one so far, but some of the other guys are probably well into it," I said, noticing the cans scattered around Ike and Gerik's feet.

"Then let's git beer number two done!" he clinked his can against mine. "This party's gonna make us all crazier 'n a boar at a mud party!"

Huh, never heard that one before; then again, Donny and Nephenee use a lot of farm metaphors, so I guess it's only natural that I don't get some of the things they say. Oh well, guess that just means I should drink til I do! I guzzled down my drink, but still couldn't beat Donny. I don't know if it's a farmer thing, but he and Nephenee can easily take on Ike, Gerik, or Boyd in a drinking contest. I don't think they ever would, but they could leave us in their drunken dust.

"You guys started without me!" said Nino, hopping down with Leo in tow.

Donny, Mark, and I all glanced at each other, laughed, and pulled out some more beers. Guess this is how these chain things start happening. Maybe seven coolers was a good idea. Actually, I'm wondering if it'll be enough… I'd still like to know where they all got this much. A few cases would be normal, but this is like an entire liquor store!

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Aaand that officially makes… uh, I dunno, six beers? Yeah, yeah, it's not a lot, but we've only been here for just over an hour. I'll probably feel this more when I stand up. Right now I'm doing okay, but standing is usually when it all hits home. Leo and Nino? Well, let's see, they've had four each, and they are currently lying on their backs laughing about nothing in particular. I think it might have to do something with someone's hair, but honestly I don't think they'd know either. Oh, lightweights, you slay me.

"Gosh, how many have they had?" said Natasha.

"Heh, four each. That's what they get for being lightweights."

She just shrugged and sat down with us. Man, Natasha is ridiculously pretty. I don't think she's hot, but she takes the pretty award hands-down. I'm not just saying that because I'm a little buzzed, I just probably wouldn't say that out loud while I was sober; not that I'm actually saying any of this out loud right now. It almost makes me glad to know that she doesn't drink. It's like the act of consuming alcohol would taint her saintly persona. Nino's a completely different story, and I don't actually know about Noire. It's probably not good for her, so I'd guess not.

"There y'are Ntsha!" Noire slurred as she slumped down beside the blonde beauty. Okay, so I guess my theory about Noire was a bit off.

"Eddie!" Nino laughed from the ground. "Help us get to the water!"

"Uh, maybe not. Somehow I think you two swimming right now would end in at least one of you drowning."

"Oooh, I might need mouth-to-mouth," Leo giggled like a schoolgirl. Gods, I wish someone were filming this. Why is it that no one ever has a camera when Leo gets plastered?

"Why don't I practice right now?" Nino turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"OKAY," I quickly separated them while everyone else was either laughing or staring awkwardly, "let's get you guys over to the water!"

"Cockblock!" yelled Mark. Shut up, man, don't give them ideas!

Well, maybe I'm more of a middle-heavyweight, because I feel like I'm holding up pretty well. The fact that I'm half dragging my two drunken friends to the water to stop them from macking is… I don't know if humiliating is the right word because I'm sure most of us are gonna be acting like them later on… Still, I wish I didn't have to watch them in the water like they're my kids. I didn't come to babysit them; I came to have a good time…

"Need a hand?" asked Rebecca as she wobbled over to me.

"Heh, looks like I should be dragging you along too."

"Hey, take that back! I am not drunk, I only had two beers!"

"And yet you look like you had maybe four. Has the great Rebecca lost her tolerance?"

"…Okay, fine, I did a couple shots with Mia, big woop. Now hand one of these two over to me!"

I complied and helped lift a giggling Nino onto Rebecca's shoulder. As I did so, I'm positive that I felt something that I shouldn't have.

"Bec! I know you're drunk, but you seriously need to stop squeezing my ass!"

"Not drunk! And besides, you just leave yourself open for it!" she laughed, taking off for the water. Leo's a little heavier, so I couldn't exactly give chase. Whatever, I'm not really in a rush.

"Eddie," mumbled Leo, "you and Bec should totally hook up…"

… … … … … … … … … … … Yeah, that was so weird that I needed that many dots to actually think of something to say. Actually, I don't even know what to say to him. Is it even worth saying something back? He probably won't even remember if I do. Well, he'll be hearing all about this story when he's sober.

"Leo, that is possibly the most awkward thing you've ever said. Getting with Rebecca would be like getting with… with my sister!"

"Dude, I didn't know you had a sister!"

Ugh, sometimes I wish drunk people and sober people could communicate better. "No, I mean _if_ I had a sister, that would be what it would be like to hook up with Rebecca. I'm not really for incest, bro."

"Right, right, cool. I forgot about… what's her name… Larry-something…"

If my arms weren't keeping Leo upright, I would have facepalmed right there. That's probably the least fitting nickname for L'Arachel I've ever heard. "Leo, I don't know how you're going to survive the rest of the day. It's, what, eleven in the morning and you're already smashed. You do realize that we're probably gonna be here til it gets dark, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, no worries, I'll just… stop… but not right now, because I'm swimming."

"Heh, I should drink more so I can understand you, because that made no sense at all."

After some more senseless conversation with Leo, we eventually reached the water where I sort of lay him in the shallows next to where Nino was splashing around. They really are like children, you know? I mean Leo's taking a nap and Nino's playing around like a kid. Meanwhile, Rebecca is reaching towards me so she can- NO, INTERCEPTED!

"Dammit, you weren't supposed to notice!" she whined, trying to pry her wrist free from my iron grip.

"And _you_ were supposed to stop doing that! This bum is reserved for one person only!"

"L'Arachel."

"That's ri- NO! I meant for me!"

Rebecca giggled and half stumble half hugged me, forcing me to do a few awkward dance steps to keep my balance. Geez, this is what happens when you're the only non-lightweight amongst your closest friends. I can't hold a candle to some of the others, but these two are pretty much featherweights when it comes to this stuff.

"Group hug!" I heard Mia shout as she wrapped her arms from behind me.

"What, group hug?!" cried Leo, shooting his eyes open and bolting upright. "**HEY, EVERYONE, WE'RE DOING A GROUP HUG OVER HERE!**"

And within the next five seconds Rebecca and I were right in the middle of an awkwardly tight orgy of arms wrapping around each other. I'm almost certain I'm grabbing someone's boob right now, and there is definitely more than one hand on my ass. Fifty bucks says that at least one of the… five(?) hands is Bec's. This must look really funny from far away. Actually, now that I think about it, who are all these other people adding onto the thing? There are definitely more than twenty-three people in this giant clump of huggers.

A few female squeals all coming from one side of the clump gave me a fairly decent idea of who some of the people on the outside of this hug were.

"Hey, Sain, we've gotta thank whoever started this group hug! I haven't gotten this many handfuls since… ever!" yelled Gatrie.

"Damn right!" Heather agreed with him.

Oh boy, looks like all the populars just showed up; and I really do mean _all_ of them. Well, the ones who were supposed to be coming. You know what, my brain is just kinda letting go now, and the fact that I can feel this many people squirming against me isn't helping me think straight. Wait, what the hell, is that _Navarre?!_ How the crap did he get caught in this group hug?! Why is he even at the beach?!

About ten minutes later, after everyone at the freaking beach decided to pile on, we had successfully started peeling apart from the outside layers.

"Heehee, that was funny!" Rebecca giggled. She'd pretty much been laughing the entire time.

"Yeah, but how long do you think it'll take them to peel everyone off?" I chuckled back to her.

"Oh, probably not as long as it took to pile on."

"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," Mia laughed from behind me. Gee, Mia, you think?! I'm just glad no one can notice me sweating. And seriously, the hands on my ass can come off anytime soon.

"Guys, I can almost see the centre!" I heard Ross shout from somewhere. It almost sounded like this was an excavation.

I could feel my breathing room expand as people closer to Rebecca and I began to peel away. "We're almost there! Sothe, who's in the centre?!"

"It's… it's… it's Eddie and Rebecca!"

I certainly wasn't expecting the roaring cheers that went around. I mean we didn't even _do_ anything! I had to laugh though; this would definitely be one of those random memories that stick with me when I'm a wrinkly old man. I could just imagine sitting with my two green-haired grandkids on my lap, telling them all about the time I almost suffocated in a giant crowd of people at the beach who just wanted a hug. Why green hair… seriously, if you've gotten this far into my story and you don't know about my thing for it, then you can just go… I dunno what you can go do, but it has to be a bad thing… Shut up, my brain isn't working!

Eventually it was just Rebecca and I left from the group hug, and lo and behold, she actually had _both_ her hands on my cheeks! Man, I never should have told her I didn't think she was a pervert. This was gonna be a running gag for at least the next few months…

"Hey, Bec," I said softly.

"What is it, Eddie?"

"Your hands are still grabbing me…"

"I know," she giggled.

"And Wil is watching."

"HE WHAT?!"

Her hands instantly flew off of me and she whirled around to see absolutely nothing. I burst out laughing at her flustered reaction, but that mischievous look on her face had me running into the water before she could do anything. She glowered at me, arms crossed in an unimpressed manner. I would've laughed again, but something else caught my attention.

"Rebecca, Wil's behind you!"

"Pfft, please, I won't fall for that again!"

"No, seriously!"

"Eddie, I'm not stup- Eek!"

Within seconds, Rebecca was hoisted up onto Wil's shoulder as he sprinted into the water. Hey, it's her fault for not listening, and I actually had to hand it to him for being so stealthy. You hear that, world? For the first time since middle school, I'm saying something nice about Wil Archer! Keep it on record, because it probably won't happen again.

"You. Complete. Ass!" Rebecca laughed when they both emerged. I wasn't going to stick around for their flirting, so I made my way onto the beach again.

"Eddie!" shouted a familiar voice before a pair of arms wrapped me from the side. "Ew, you're all wet!"

"Well, yeah, we're at the beach, aren't we?" I chuckled and faced her.

My god, today seriously just got a whole lot better. Other than pictures, I've never actually seen L'Arachel in a swimsuit, so I was almost about to have another Marisa moment… almost being the key word there. Maybe it has something to do with the strapless tops that set me off, but I think my mad blushing has more to do with the fact that it's L'Arachel standing in front of me in nothing more than a bikini.

"If you keep blushing, Eddie, you're gonna make me blush too!" she giggled, shaking me by the shoulders.

"Wha- oh, sorry," I chuckled awkwardly, scratching my head. "Uh, did you guys just get here?"

"Yup! I was actually gonna go talk to Feena! Come with me!"

That wasn't a request; it was a royal command. I felt my body turn to jelly when she grabbed my hand and led me to where they had all set their stuff up next to ours. Holy balls, as if seven coolers wasn't enough, but now there had to be at least fifteen! I'm pretty sure I might die of alcohol poisoning today. Know that I leave everything to Leo and Rebecca, because they'll hopefully be smart enough not to wreck my stuff when I'm dead. Well, that's assuming they don't die too. If anything, they're probably going to die first.

"Feena!" L'Arachel squealed, plopping down next to the pretty dancer. I got pulled down too.

"Oh my god, L'Arachel, I haven't seen you since we got here!" …Didn't they just get here ten minutes ago? You know, the whole group hug thing?

"I know, right?! Hey, where's that guy you brought?"

"Navarre? Oh, he's around somewhere. He doesn't really like the beach… or talking… or being in social situations. Total dud, huh?"

Wait, Navarre came with _Feena_?! Like, _the_ Feena?! You know; popular, dancer, super-attractive, talkative, colourful Feena?! I knew it was weird that he was here at all, but why would he be with her? They're total opposites, and I'm certain that the whole opposites attract thing doesn't hold true for those two. She's super outgoing and he's just… not at all!

"Whaaaat?! Who doesn't like the beach?! Why are you with him anyway? I thought you had your eye on Boyd."

"L'Arachel! Eddie is right here!"

"Oh, he won't tell, right, Edward?" she said, nuzzling up close to me and batting her eyes.

I had to consciously stop myself from drooling, but my face felt like it was on fire. I could only nod, because I didn't want to sound like a fool attempting to talk. Both of them smirked at me and giggled before resuming their conversation. Damn, I'm such a loser!

"Okay, well, Navarre is a family friend. His family was over visiting mine, and when I told my mom I was going to the beach, his mom told him he should come along too. I could've cared less, but it took us a whole lot longer to leave the house with him protesting and stuff. He's kinda hot though, so… Oh, Navarre, you're back!"

The brooding guy with long hair sat down next to Feena and handed her a beer, which she gladly took from him. His expression was completely blank, so I couldn't tell if he was pissed off that he was here or just indifferent to everything. Honestly, him and most of the quiet guys kinda creep me out. I never actually hear them talking to each other, so it makes me wonder if they're all friends or if they just prefer to stick with people who won't try talking to them…

"Oh, how rude of me," Feena said, slapping her head after finishing a gulp, "L'Arachel and Eddie, Navarre. Navarre, L'Arachel and Eddie."

"Hmph," was all he gave us before getting up and leaving again. Uh, was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Don't mind him, he's always been like this," said Feena.

"Eddie, you can go back to whatever you were doing if you want," L'Arachel said, though it still sounded more like a royal command than a request.

Stupid as it was, I was still blushing over the whole no telling Boyd thing to say anything, so I just nodded and headed towards my group of friends. I definitely heard my name as I was walking away, which is probably why they wanted me to leave. I sat down next to Kris and Mia, where I was promptly handed a shot glass.

"Let's go, Eddie, show us what you've got!" cheered Ewan and Amelia.

"Take your pick, bro," chuckled Sothe. He had an arrangement of hard liquor in front of him, all waiting to be consumed by us.

"Gotta go with the Jack Daniel's, Sothe," I said confidently, picking up the rectangular bottle of whiskey. Donny and Nephenee cheered me on, seeing as it was the only whiskey, and whiskey is their favourite drink.

"Heh, never took you for a whiskey fellow, Eddie," he said, pouring himself and Micaiah a shot of rum.

"Cheers," I said before shooting it back. Yow, nothing quite like a whiskey shot to warm you up. Too bad it's already warm outside, so now I feel like my body is overheating.

"Bleargh," grimaced Micaiah, chasing her shot with some soda. I chuckled to myself, as I hadn't even realized someone brought non-alcoholic drinks. I guess some of the girls would want chase. Guys don't chase drinks; real men only chase with more alcohol!

I glanced over to see L'Arachel and Feena finishing their conversation. It looked like L'Arachel was about to get up, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. I know it's super unlikely, but I want to try and build up the courage to ask her out today. It's best if I do it early on in the year so that we can forget about it if things don't work out. Besides, this alcohol in my system is gonna make me stupidly confident enough to ask her later, so I should at least hang out with her for now. Taking another shot and grabbing a beer, I walked over as she was getting up.

"Oh, Eddie, I was just gonna come find you again!" she exclaimed. "Hey, thanks," she laughed, snatching my beer away.

"Hey, I just grabbed that!" I laughed back, quickly running to grab another one.

"Well, you don't seem too upset. Let's go in the water! It's so freaking hot out here, and I just wanna get wet!"

Nope, nope, nope, don't think of it that way, Eddie, she just meant she wants to cool off. That wasn't a sexual comment; it was just a regular one. Don't think about it, don't think about it; gah, stop thinking about it! Well, there's only one way to play this one off regularly.

"That's what she said!"

"Ew, Edward, you manwhore!" she laughed, playfully slapping my chest.

"You love it, don't even try to deny the truth."

"I'm not denying anything; I _do_ like my men confident," she giggled flirtatiously. All right, keep wheeling, Eddie, you've got this!

"Well, then I'll be the most confident dude you've ever met!"

"You think you can handle me?"

"Handle you? I think you should worry about handling me!"

"Hmm, that sounds fun. I'd love to handle you," she said seductively, taking a few steps close to me.

Poof, there goes my confidence. Oh, gods, why does she have to be so good at bringing out the worst in me. I just went from semi-douchebag confident to sputtering, blushing idiot. L'Arachel, do you have to strut when you flirt with me? It makes it that much harder to focus when you're flaunting your amazing, sexy, curvy, beautiful… er, what was I saying?

"Eddie?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, what is it?"

She giggled and pressed her body against mine, and I was afraid that I might start… poking her… As awkward as it may seem, every guy knows that terrifying feeling that it might happen at one of those times. If only it was a bit more subtle. I'm not saying I want to be smaller (who the hell would ask for that?!), but why does it have to be so damn embarrassing?!

"I think," she whispered in my ear, "it's time to go get wet."

I was basically frozen in place. She smelled so good. Why does she have to smell so good? And her voice was such a turn-on that… Ah, I can't even describe it! Why must you toy with me so? The fact that I'm getting tipsy is only making me want it more and more. I should drink this beer. Fast.

She didn't even giggle or anything as she took a step away from my face. That devilish smirk on her face said it all: you want this and I know it. She just gave me a wink before strutting down towards the water's edge. I still felt rooted to the spot. It took me a moment to notice someone leaning on my shoulder. Actually, it could've been a while, since I was too preoccupied with L'Arachel's hips swinging back and forth. Oh, geez, I want her! Lust is a terrible thing, boys and girls, especially for the intoxicated male teenage mind.

"You look happy," snickered the person leaning on me. I glanced down to see Serra with an amused expression on her face.

"I, uh, was just…"

"Getting a hard-on from the flirting queen?"

Well, that's one way of putting it. "What?! N-no! I just got her a drink and we were… talking…"

"Pfft, you've got shit for brains if that's your excuse!" Coming from you, Serra, that doesn't mean much. "Heehee, oh, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, she's gonna be the death of you."

"I can handle her… personality."

"Oh, this teasing and stuff is nothing. Trust me, we've been best friends for years, and these are only her rookie tricks. You better watch yourself, loverboy."

"Loverboy? How did…"

"Heehee, I didn't, but your reaction just gave it awaaay!"

Well… shit. Me and my big mouth… "Uh, ehehe, can you keep this from her, Serra?" Fat chance, Serra's the biggest blabbermouth there is.

"Hmm, what's in it for me?" she asked, tapping her chin with her index finger.

"Uh… what do you want?"

"Oh, that makes things easier." Oh crap, did I just make this more complicated for myself? "If you can get me a date with Mark, then my lips are sealed."

That was… a surprisingly simpler task than I thought she might think up. Mark's pretty easygoing, so I think he'd be down to go out with her. He might not keep seeing her afterwards, but that depends on how well they get along. But how am I supposed to know she won't say anything before I get him to take her out?

"Fair enough. When do I need to get this done by?"

"How about he has to take me out, one-on-one, by next Sunday. If not, Miss Flirtypants over there might just find out about a certain guy's feelings for her."

"Okay, okay, I'll do it. So do we, like… I dunno, shake on it?"

"Ugh, what are we, fancy businessmen? C'mon, we have to drink on it! Two tequila shots each!"

Ha, I never knew Serra could be such an extortionist. I guess it's one of the perks of being a Gossiper, let alone one of the co-leaders. After those two smooth shots and my can of beer, I wobbled my way down to the water where L'Arachel was scrunching the wet sand in her toes.

"There you are! I didn't think it was gonna take you so long!" she said, using her foot to bury my feet in the sand.

"Yeah, sorry, Serra, uh, wanted me to go take a couple shots with her."

"Really," she said curiously, a strange expression coming over her face. I probably shouldn't have said that. L'Arachel and Serra know each other too well, so she probably knows that that meant something was up.

"So," I began to chuckle, partially from the alcohol, "weren't you gonna get yourself wet?" It's fine to make dirty jokes when I'm the one in control. When she does it, I just lose myself…

"Well, I was actually hoping you might help me," she said in that sexy, seductive tone. Okay, I kinda gave her that opportunity. I should really stop trying to be dirty around L'Arachel…

"Oh, I see how it is, did you need something specific," I said, trying my best to keep the sexual persona going.

"My, you're getting better at this," she giggled and took my hand. "I'm gonna need you to use this. Here I'll show you."

Okay, I knew she was up to something when she took my hand, but having her press it against her bare torso sent shivers up my spine. She was in full control again, and I was fighting an uphill battle. She knew exactly what she was doing when she slowly slid my hand downwards toward her… OKAY, that's a little too close for comfort.

"WHEW, I think it's time to go in the water," I huffed before running and jumping into the deeper part.

When I emerged, she was snickering while she took a few steps into the water. This girl just doesn't know when to quit, does she? I don't know if this is heaven or hell, because I'm honestly being tortured with how much I'm enjoying all the things she's doing. Yune, this is too much chaos for me, please hold off a bit!

We were about belly-button level in the water, so she was quick to meet me. Why does she still have that seductive glint in her eye? Please don't say something dirty again. Alcohol, why have you failed in making me immune to these embarrassments?!

"Eddie," she said in an oddly normal tone.

"Y-yes?"

"I'm really wet now."

Aaand it's time to dunk my head again. Gods, I need a drink or five.

* * *

Yowza, 8300 words for one chapter! I know there are stories with more, but I've been looking forward to this beach scene for quite a while now. Still this is the longest chapter I've ever written for any of my work, and this is only part one! I was thinking that this might only be a two-part section of the story, but I have so many things to address while they're at the beach that I don't want to promise it only being two parts.

On that note, I suppose I didn't much delve into subplots with this chapter. I know I said I would, but I realized partway through that I wanted to focus more on Eddie's relationships. I think I may have mentioned small subplots here and there, but on the whole this one was more focused on the main plot. _**Next chapter**_, which will be in _**Rebecca's POV**_ will have some more focus on subplots. This includes relationships between the main group, populars, and other groups in the school. I know that's pretty vague, but relationships doesn't necessarily mean dating. That's all I'll say about it for now ;)

Also, one of the songs I mentioned, Pussycat by Günther and the Sunshine Girls, is probably the funniest clubbing-type song I've heard. Hell, anything by GatSG is hilarious. He is literally the ugliest, most untalented artist in the world, but I have the utmost respect for him because he uses those things to make himself hilariously famous. Seriously, youtube him right now.

As always, please review and check out my soundcloud! (link on profile) I should have a new song up by next chapter!

_-GengaJupite_


	5. It's a Little Sandy: Part II

Wow, I got so much positive feedback on that last chapter that I thought I might explode from all the warm fuzzies in my stomach :P. Seriously, you guys are the best, and for that I shall thank you! For the convenience of people who just want to read the chapter, I've moved the RR's down to the bottom.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_It's a Little Sandy: Part II  
__(Rebecca)_

"Hey, Bec," Eddie said softly.

"What is it, Eddie?" I asked. As if I didn't know what he was gonna say. I don't have to be sober to know what he's thinking!

"Your hands are still grabbing me…"

"I know." I tried to stifle my giggling, but couldn't help it.

"And Wil is watching."

"HE WHAT?!"

Quickly as I could, I let go of Eddie's cheeks and spun around, blushing madly at the thought of Wil seeing me holding onto my best guy friend like that. Eddie's cute and all, but I would never think of him like that! It's all teasing! Dammit, I'm sorry, Wil, I just… just… huh? He's not… here… EDWARD YOU BASTARD!

He, apparently, got a kick out of seeing me so wigged out. Oh, Eddie, you are so in for it right now. Well, he would've been if he didn't jump into the water like the little pansy he is. Tch, can't even take on a kinda-tipsy-but-not-really girl?

"Rebecca, Wil's behind you!"

I was almost tempted to turn around again. _Almost._ Then I realized how stupid it would have been if I did. That was probably the lamest attempt at fooling me he could use. "Pfft, please, I won't fall for that again!"

"No, seriously!"

"Eddie, I'm not stup- Eek!"

I don't even know what happened, but I was suddenly flung up into the air and being carried on someone's shoulder! Yikes, being drunk and suddenly getting lifted in the air is scary! I thought I was actually flying for a second; that is, until I crashed into the water… Eddie, why didn't you te- wait, you did… okay, sorry for not believing you. And all of you, stop shaking your heads at me!

"You. Complete. Ass!" I laughed as I emerged from the water. Wil must've come up just a second before I did, because he was already laughing his head off."

"Hey, you could've listened to Eddie! The little jackass almost blew my cover!"

I whacked him with my hat, but I couldn't stop giggling. Why do you have to be so hot, Wil?! Actually, you're looking a little hotter right now… Is it the sun, the alcohol, or the fact that you don't have a shirt on? Ooooh, shirtless, Wil…

"That's a good look for you, by the way. You always have your hair tied in braids, and you usually wear a bandana instead of a cap."

"Oh stop it, you," I splashed him while blushing. "Your flattery will get you nowhere. This is my frumpy, stay-at-home look."

He chuckled and shook his head, "Why do women always insist on fishing for compliments? Well, if you won't agree that you look nice, then I'll agree and say you look gross."

My mouth dropped open, but I was still visibly smiling. What a jerkface! You can't just tell a girl that she looks gross! Compliment me, you ass! Be nice to me! Tell me I'm beautiful! Love me! Draw me like one of your French… oh wait, that's from Titanic… I don't think I want him to draw me naked…. Eep, why would I think about that?! Stupid alcohol…

"Haha, no need to blush, Rebecca, I was kidding. You look great! Don't tell yourself that you look gross; I certainly don't think you do."

"You're just saying that…"

He sighed before laughing again. "See? This is _exactly_ what I was just saying! I'll never understand women… This isn't because… no, nevermind."

Huh, why'd he get all embarrassed all of a sudden? I don't think I've seen Wil blush since he was still friends with Eddie (those two things aren't related, it's just a frame of reference…). What a weird look for him. Well, I think it makes him cuter, but still, that 'no, nevermind' thing is some total bull.

"No, tell me! You can't just end a thought right when you bring it up!"

"I can't, it's a touchy subject."

"I'm a tough girl, I can handle it!"

"It's awkward to bring up."

"I've known you forever, Wil, it can't be _that_ bad."

"Yeah, but you're a girl!"

"You sexist pig!"

"Agh! Don't hit me! That's not how I meant it, it's just a weird subject around girls."

"I'll pinch you... on the nipple if you don't tell me!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Haha, yes, I've finally made some progress!

"Try me. One… two… th-"

"I was gonna ask if you're all moody 'cause it's that time of month! Don't touch my nipples, pleeeaase!"

I wasn't sure if I heard that right, but judging by his hands flying over his nipples and the fact that he was now backing away from me slowly was pretty convincing. Wil, rule number one with a girl, especially an irrational drunk one: Never. **EVER.** Ask if she's moody because she's on her period!

"Wil," I said sweetly, taking a few steps closer to him.

I'm gonna get him so good. Just gotta swing my hips a little more, maybe play with my hair a bit. Oh this is gonna be good, all he has to do is take the bait. Oh, shit, don't trip now! Okay, I'm all good.

"Y-yeah, Rebecca?" He stopped stepping backwards and let his hands drop; perfect. All it took was a little body language to get him going. Typical boy…

"You shouldn't ask girls about their periods," I said, turning the sweet voice into a more seductive one. I'll admit, I don't have a lot of practice doing this, but he seems receptive enough. I pressed my body against his, hands lightly against his pecs.

"Otherwise," I continued; oh em eff gee, this is it, "you'd better prepare for pain."

And before he could even scramble away, I pinched. Haha, never reveal your weakness to the sadistic Rebecca! Hope you have strong nipples, Wil!

"Owwy, owwy, owwy, owwy, owwy, I'm sorry, I'm SORRY! Please stop, Rebecca! Sweet merciful Naga, my nippleeeeesssss! Oooooooowwwwww!"

I certainly never expected my future hus- I mean close male friend to scream out like that. Let's just say that Wil usually likes to keep his cool, so that was pretty funny. I pretty much exploded in laughter at the sound of him screaming 'owwy' over and over again. Oh, how I love this boy, truly I do.

"Heehee, you baby! I'll never let you live this down for the rest of your life!" I giggled, releasing him from my pinches.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," he smirked through a physically pained expression.

"You've got nothing on me!" I laughed. I know I laugh a lot around Wil, but I'm gonna go ahead and blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, baby.

"Really? Because the pictures on my phone seem to remember a certain time you had to kiss Makalov."

Oh gods, no, he did not just go there… My happy expression quickly dropped into one of horror as he crossed his arms in triumph. How dare he blackmail me with those photos?! He was supposed to delete them right away! No fair, Wil!

"Hey, that was one time, and it was because of a _dare_! I would never willingly kiss him!"

"Heh, all's fair in love and war," he chuckled. Well, that kiss was no love affair, but Wil should definitely be prepared for war if he keeps this up.

"Come on," he said before I could respond, "why don't we drop all of this and go have a drink? It'll make you feel better."

I was still a bit peeved over the blackmail pictures, but his offer sounded more tempting. "Fine," I said, attempting to sound angry with him but failing miserably, "but I don't appreciate you trying to get me drunk enough to forget your evilness!"

"Hey, it's a win-win situation! You forget that rather gross memory, and I don't get ridiculed for my sensitive nips. I think that sounds fair."

He must have some hidden ability to make me giggly, because I couldn't help myself as I nodded and leaned into him. Apparently he hadn't drank anything yet, so he was happy to walk me up towards his towel and stuff. Where is his stuff anyway? Oh, this is kind of intimidating… I never thought I'd be drunkenly socializing with the Elites. Okay, just act natural, Rebecca. Just don't draw any unnecessary attention and they'll accept you…

"Hey, you guys have met Rebecca, right?" Wil asked as he sat us down. Eek, Wil, why would you give me _more_ attention?!

"Yeah, long time no talk, eh, Rebecca?" said Eliwood, passing me a drink from one of the coolers near him.

"Y-yeah, a few years I think…"

To be honest, I've actually met most of the Elites before. I used to be pretty close with Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn, but we drifted apart later on. It's not exactly the same as Eddie's split with Wil because the three of them and I have no issues with each other. I guess it was just a difference in preferences. Whatever, parties tend to make everyone friends, especially if we're all intoxicated! Looks like I'm the only one right now though… Why'd you have to bring me here, Wil?

"You look nervous, Rebecca," said someone from beside me. I looked over to see Sumia smiling back. Hold up! Is she doing what I _think _she's doing?!

"Um, well, I am a little bit. More importantly though, I see you're enjoying Chrom's hand." ...Not that way, you perverts!

She blushed and looked down at her fingers interlocking with Chrom's. We all knew it was gonna happen, so it was really a matter of when. I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions by thinking this means they're dating; we are all drinking, so maybe it's just the step after flirting. Either way, I guess me leaning on Wil's shoulder in a drunken heap is a little more suggestive than Sumia and Chrom holding hands…

"Oh, good, well, since we've got two of you here now," said Lyn, "we can get some more thorough opinions!"

All the Elites grinned at Sumia and I. As if I wasn't intimidated enough, but now I wish I were somewhere else. Hopefully they don't ask me anything too embarrassing…

"Right, let's start with Joshua!" boomed Hector. "He's had his eye on that blonde babe you're friends with. What's her name… Nat-something…"

"Natasha?" I asked.

"That's the one!"

"Hey, shut up, man!" laughed Joshua. He's pretty attractive, but I really wish he'd get a haircut. It's not that the long hair looks bad, but I would love to see him with short hair. Even thinking about it is funny!

"So you wanna know if Natasha would date you?" said Sumia.

"Heh, uh, well, I'm a gambling sorta guy, so I'd at least like to know my odds…" he said sheepishly. Wow, they're all so good at hiding their embarrassment; none of these people blush! I wish I had that power. Maybe I took their blush away from them…

"I dunno, I don't think she's ever dated anyone, has she, Rebecca?"

"Not that I know of."

"Huh, I would've thought she-"

"Don't care, time to move on!" Hector laughed as he cut off Joshua. "Let's see, I know a whole bunch of chicks have a thing for Ike!"

I don't think he heard, but Ike was only sitting a few feet away from us, and he turned at the sound of his name. I had to curl my lips in to stop the giggles as Elincia, Tana, Lucina, Lyn, and Olivia all slapped Hector in some way or another. Ike certainly is a popular guy amongst the… populars… I never realized all these girls had a crush on him! Then again, I think almost all of the girls in my group, myself included, had our eye on him at some point. Sorry, Wil, but Ike is pretty charming. I'll have to find out who Ike has the hots for later today.

I learned a few things over the next few minutes of sitting with them. Well, I guess I already knew some of it, like Eliwood and Ninian are an item, and Marth and Caeda are pretty much together. Many laughs and drinks later, Ephraim openly admitted that he had a thing for Tana right in front of her! I think she kind of knew already, because she didn't really react much when everyone 'awww'ed. Roy, Lalum, and Lilina are some sort of love triangle thing, but he also mentioned some girl named Sophia at some point; would that make it a love square? Yeesh, what is with all the womanizers at our school?!

"Hey, Eirika, you've been pretty quiet!" said Lalum.

"Yeah, I don't think we've heard any talk from you yet," giggled Elincia.

I guess I was wrong about the whole 'Elites don't blush' thing, because Eirika's face instantly turned a deep shade of pink. I don't really know her that well, so I can't say much about her. I know she's Ephraim's twin sister, but other than that I've never actually talked to her before.

"Oh, well, I-I'm not really looking for someone…" she said quietly, earning a snicker from her brother.

"That's 'cause you already found who you're searching for!" Ephraim laughed.

"Don't you dare say it, Ephraim!"

"Why not? You've got nothing on me! What are you gonna do, tell everyone who I like? It's a little late for that, Eirika, seeing as I already did! Besides, what's wrong with L-"

"DON'T!"

"I heard an L!" shouted Saul as the Shameless Six passed by. "Does pretty Miss Eirika finally wish to admit her undying feelings for me?"

"Ew, as if, Saul! And the L in your name is at the end!"

"Yeah, man, she's definitely gunning for me anyway!" said Inigo, taking a seat next to her. "Ladies prefer a man of passion!"

This was pretty much like a sitcom happening right in front of me! Saul, Gatrie, and Inigo started shoving each other around over who was most likely to have Eirika's affection while Sain and Virion gave her some bad, though admittedly poetic, pickup lines. Heather was standing off to the side checking out a line of girls taking a picture just a little ways away. Eirika and the Six were pretty much the only ones not rolling around in laughter. This is what you get when a bunch of teens decide to start drinking in a huge group of completely diverse people.

"Your name is like a beautiful song to my ears, Eirika," said Sain, taking her hand.

"A song? How droll, Sain, for she is a symphony to me!" Virion countered, taking her other hand.

"A symphony compares not to the beautiful visage of an oil painting I see when looking at her!"

"How dare you say she is flat and oily?! Eirika is a finely crafted sculpture of beauty and elegance!"

"You would call her a stony statue?! Leave now, insensitive Virion! No fool would be so daft as to compare this graceful swan to a mere rock!"

"A swan?! You certainly know how to pick the most cliché animal, Sain. Eirika is not so common as a plain bird, but exotic like a tigress, exceptionally dazzling to the eyes and commanding respect!"

"Pah, you insult women everywhere, Virion! Eirika is not the dictator you attempt to make her out to be, but a goddess of virtue and justice!"

"Guys, Nephenee's taking shots!" Heather interrupted the five boys' arguments.

"She is?! Outta my way, Inigo!" Gatrie shoved the smaller flirt aside and took off towards Nephenee.

"Wait for me, dearest Nephenee!" Virion cried as he instantly released Eirika's hand and took off.

"You make rhymes like public radio rappers, Virion!" Sain called, following suit.

I had to wipe the tears coming from my eyes as I finished laughing. We don't call them the Shameless Six for nothing! They'll be here for one girl and gone as soon as the next one shows up. I don't think any of them even _like_ Eirika that much. She looked rather flustered and annoyed, though the red on her face seemed to be more from blushing than anger.

"Oooh, Rebecca's on Wiiiiil!" chanted Lalum.

Oh gosh, I didn't even realize I'd rolled onto him! It just seemed so… so… natural! And it wasn't like it was all me, his arms are around me too! Oh, I'm just making things worse. Explaining to you people is like talking to a… a comeback machine! I just can't say anything without making things sound worse! I know a comeback machine isn't real; be quiet, I'm drunk!

"Heehee, sorry, Wil." Why must I giggle every time I get near him?

"That's okay, Rebecca, I rather like this position," he said mischievously, making my face grow hot.

I quickly scrambled to get off of him and made up some excuse to leave. I didn't actually want to get away from him, but I was a little too embarrassed to stick around. The Elites really take a lot out of you! Well, Lalum was partially to blame. She's not even an Elite, so I guess I can't really blame it on them…

As I was heading over towards my group of friends, I heard one last shout from Ephraim before they erupted in laughter again.

"Eirika likes Lyon!"

"**EPHRAIM, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!**"

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"How many shots was that, Rebecca?" Mia hiccupped.

"Um, I think that makes three? Not counting the ones from earlier," I said to her, though the sky was looking pretty cool right now.

"M'kay, well let's, uh, let's… go sit with everybody else!" she said, trying to pull me up.

We stumbled our way over to the others. Sothe was still playing bartender with them, though his skills seemed to be getting sloppier from all the shots he'd been taking. Heather was trying to hit on Nephenee while Donny just gave them some awkward looks. Soren was lying on his back beside Leo and Nino. Heh, I guess they managed to get him drunk. Probably poured a couple shots in a beer can and told him to drink it. I could see Gerik off to the side talking to Tethys while she laughed at nearly everything he said. Ugh, you're ruining everything, Tethys! How can he like a girl who giggles that much… Shut up, I am not a hypocrite! Where's Marisa? Usually she'd be with him… Oh, Shameless Six minus Heather… hahahaha, too drunk to function right now. I'm gonna lie down for a sec.

"Come to join our cloud gazing party?" Nino chuckled as I lay down beside her.

"Preeetty much! How much have you and Leo had?"

"Um, I think five beers and two shots each. We're just try'na slow down a bit."

"Heehee, you should, it's only 11:30…"

"Hey, you can't talk down to me, Rebecca! Looks like you're pretty drunk too!"

"That she is," someone said as a shadow blocked out my sun.

"Wil! Come lie down with me!"

"Is this the part where I get raped?"

"Heehee, you can't rape the willing."

"True that," he laughed as he lay down next to me. Alright, now I can cuddle up to him without consequence!

"Oh, that cloud looks like a cloud!" said Leo.

"Well, duh," Nino giggled as she snuggled up closer to him.

"No, no, you don't get it. I mean it's, like, extra puffy like the ones you draw in pictures and stuff!"

I heard Wil chuckle beside me, and I took that opportunity to copy Nino's movements by snuggling up to him. Sure, it wasn't really one of those super opportune moments, but I have the advantage of being too inebriated to care! Like I said earlier, everything's getting blamed on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, baby.

"Know what that one looks like?" Wil asked, pointing to the one above the 'cloud' cloud that Leo had pointed out.

"A dick!" I laughed.

"Yeesh, you have a disgusting mind, you know that?" he laughed, bringing his arm back down to wrap around my shoulders. "I was _actually _going to say it looks like cherries, but I suppose you make a valid point."

Pfft, _I _have a disgusting mind, Wil? You're a boy; your mind is dirtier by default! Cherries, my ass; that definitely looks like… okay, now I see cherries…

"You have such an innocent brain," I said, tousling his hair, "and you're cute."

"Heh, you're so wasted."

"Aren't you?"

"Not yet. I've only had a bit to drink."

"That's not what I wanna hear! Sothe, Wil needs something strong, pronto!"

"Everclear sound good?" I heard Sothe ask me back.

"Wha- No! I'm trying to get him drunk, not dead!"

"Haha, I'm kidding, Rebecca! I've got some Grey Goose, that good enough?"

"Sure, pour three shots!"

"Three?" asked Wil.

"Yeah, two for you and one for me!"

"Hehe, such an alcoholic."

"Hey, as my future boyfriend you can't say things like that!"

"Good thing you're drunk, or you probably wouldn't say something like that so openly."

"Say what?"

"…Nevermind, here comes Sothe."

Somehow, Sothe managed to stumble his way over to us without spilling the drinks. Wil and I sat up so that we could take the glasses from him. I was surprised that Wil wasted no time in quickly downing both shots and handing the little glasses back to Sothe. I hadn't even started mine by the time he was done… Bleargh, I should've asked for chase. Where's Micaiah when you need her?

"Wanna go for a walk?" Wil asked as I lay back down.

"I don't know if I can," I chuckled back to him. It's true; I don't think I can walk long enough to consider it a walk. He's probably not going to last long either.

"Heh, you can hold onto me if you want to."

"Okay!" …What, why wouldn't I take that offer?

He helped me to my feet and we wobbled down towards the water's edge. I glanced over to the right to see Eddie and L'Arachel getting awfully close to each other. Yuck, no wonder I haven't seen him since Wil threw me in the water. That L'Arachel better not hurt him. He's too sweet to be toyed with by a ditz like her.

We turned the opposite way from those two and slowly paced down the shoreline. I stumbled quite a bit, but Wil was always there to catch me. Eventually he just kept his arm around my back, and I swear I could've died right there and then. I lightly gripped onto his shoulder and leaned my head as we walked down the beach to where there were not as many people.

"So, Wil, how far are you planning on taking me?" I said playfully.

"Oh, I'm gonna take you _all_ the way," he responded in the same manner. See?! I told you he was a perverted boy! "But, in all seriousness, I'm not sure. I just wanted to walk around for a bit, and I thought it might be fun if you came with me."

"What about your other friends?"

"Well, none of them are quite the same as you, Rebecca." Oh, I'm certain my heart just melted. Tell me more, Wil; I want to hear you say more!

"You're such a softie. Where's the manly man who always tried to one-up Eddie?"

"He's still in middle school, duking it out with middle school Eddie. Heh, those were some good times."

It made me slightly sad to hear him say that. He and Eddie were never as close as Eddie, Leo, and I, but they were still good friends. I don't like to think about it, but it was kind of Wil's fault that they split apart. After all, Eddie didn't change; Wil became popular.

"Think things could go back that way?" I asked him.

He hesitated for a moment. I don't know what it is about being drunk, but people can have the dumbest conversations, or the most philosophical/thought-provoking ones you'll ever hear them speak of. This was leaning towards the latter.

"Sometimes I wish it could, but I doubt that it'll ever be the same. Eddie and I, well we just don't get along anymore. Besides, I've got my friends, and he's got his. We both moved on."

"Well, you both still have me."

"That we do, and I'm glad for it," he said, stopping so that he could turn and smile at me. I couldn't help it, so I gave him a quick peck on the cheek, blushing madly the whole time. He didn't seem to care though, as he just grinned and continued walking down the beach.

"What are we, Wil?"

"Huh? Um, my first thought would be that we're people…"

"No, you smartass, I didn't mean it like that! I meant, like, what are _we_? As in the two of us!"

He stopped to ponder for a moment, bringing the hand that wasn't wrapped around me up to his chin. I'm not really sure why that question surfaced in my mind, but it was something that I had been meaning to ask since our trip to Jugdral in the summer. Hopefully I hadn't made him uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure he knows that I lo- sorry, like him, and I'm sure he knows that I know he likes me.

"Right now, I'd say we're at some kind of in-between stage. We're more than friends, but less than lovers."

I blushed at the thought. The word lovers had never crossed my mind when I thought about him. Sure, I like to say that I love him, but it's not in the 'I love you' way; it's more like the 'love yooouuu' way. There's a lot more power behind that I than people know. Still, even if we were to date, I would never say that we're… lovers…

"Was that not the answer you were looking for?" he asked when he noticed my blushing expression.

"Oh, no, I was just curious. I never thought of considering us l-lovers…"

"Bahahaha, honestly I just said lovers because I couldn't think of another word! I'm sure saying less than a couple would have worked, but that just seemed too vague. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

He gave me a hug, which I was quick to return. I love getting hugs, especially when they're warm and meaningful. Usually boys give those kinds of hugs, so it makes it that much better when it's the person you like. Wil hugs, Leo hugs, Eddie hugs, those are my favourite kinds.

"C'mon," he said, turning us around, "I think we've walked far enough. Let's head back."

We stumbled our way back, tripping every few steps, but catching each other every time.

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"Sooo, what did you and Wil do on your long walk?" asked Lissa.

As soon as we got back, she was quick to drag me away towards a mixed group of populars and my group. Wil got dragged off somewhere else, so I'm guessing everyone wanted to know what went down. I wasn't really in the right state of mind to resist anything.

"Just stuff," I said calmly, though I'm sure I was blushing hard.

"I don't think 'stuff' would make you look like a tomato," Gerik snickered from across me.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have been flirting with Tethys! You're a two-timer, Gerik!"

"Ugh, when are you people going to understand that Marisa and I aren't dating?! And besides, I wasn't _flirting_ with Tethys, we were just talking."

"Oh, take it from me, hon," Feena giggled, "you may not have been flirting with her, but I can definitely tell you that _she_ was flirting with _you_!"

Callil, Henry, Mist, and Lissa started giggling before murmuring amongst themselves. Gerik grumbled something while Ike patted him on the shoulder and laughed. Ninian, Olivia, Noire, and Natasha were all still looking at me curiously.

"So what _did_ you two talk about?" Ninian asked me shyly.

"Uh, just, like, where we are as… us…"

"Oooh, and what are you guys?" Natasha asked excitedly.

"Well, the way he put it was 'more than friends, less than lovers'…"

"Oh, I wish someone would think of me as that…" Olivia said, blushing madly for no apparent reason.

"It's cute," added Noire.

"It's… it's nothing really. The thought popped into my head after I kissed… him…"

"Omigosh, you kissed him?!" Callil gasped, dropping whatever it was she was drinking.

"It was just a little peck on the cheek… He didn't mind," I said, though I was starting to blush again.

"Haha, that's so funny!" Henry laughed; why does he tend to laugh at everything? "It sounds like he didn't kiss you back though. Want me to smack him a few times?"

"No, no, no, that's okay, Henry, really," I said frantically.

"Kay, well, enough of this Rebecca interrogating!" said Mist. "I wanna know who my brother's been thinking about!"

"Eek!" screamed Olivia before she booked it out of there with the reddest face I'd ever seen.

"…Well, we know one person who likes you," Gerik chuckled as we all stared after the pink-haired girl. "Now we've just gotta count out the other ten."

"Oh, shut up, man!" Ike said, inhaling his… fifteenth(?) beer. "It's not like I try to get chicks to dig me!"

"You say it like it's a bad thing…"

"It is if you aren't actually a womanizer."

"Too bad you are!" laughed Mist. "Anyway, you haven't answered my question!"

"If I do, you're just gonna go blab it out to everyone, Mist. I know you, it's in your nature."

He could've just said she was a Gossiper, but then I remembered that all the terms that we'd come up with for the populars were just that: terms we'd come up with. They didn't know that we knew them as the Gossipers, Dancers, JDB (thank the gods), or Elites. They might be familiar with the term populars, but I think that's as far as their knowledge of clique names goes.

"But, but, but Iiiiiiiike! You have to tell me! I'll get it out of you at home, so don't think this'll end here!"

"…If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything. Otherwise, I'm gonna tell everyone that you have a thing for R-"

"Okay, okay, I've got it!" she sputtered before he could reveal the name of her crush.

"Fine, listen up because I'm only going to say this once," he said, motioning for us all to huddle close. Once all our heads were huddled into a very close proximity with one another, he quietly mumbled out a single name. "Elincia."

"I knew it!" screamed Callil. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

In all honesty, no one actually seemed surprised by this news. Strangely enough, Ike usually likes one of the numerous girls who like him, so it came as no surprise that with Olivia, Elincia, Lucina, Lyn, and Tana all holding some kind of feelings for him that one of their names would come up.

Our talk of relationships and such continued on until about one. I decided that lying on my back would be the most comfortable way to talk to all of them. Apparently I'm a huge trendsetter, because we're all lying on our backs now. Maybe I could be a popular if I tried. Heh, Rebecca Wildflower, the starter of sandy back conversations… Nevermind, that sounds lame. Maybe I shouldn't be a trendsetter…

"Woo! Go, Wil! Chug, chug, chug, chug!" shouted a crowd to my left.

We all stopped our conversation and sat up to get a look at what was going on. Okay, I'm not sure who brought it, but Wil was currently downing three cans of beer through a beer bong. I'd never liked those things; they always made me choke on whatever drink was in it. Geez, look at him go! And he calls me the alcoholic!

The crowd erupted in cheers as he finished. I laughed and bumbled my way towards him, clapping all the way. "Looks like I can call you an alcoholic now too!" I chuckled once I got up to him.

"Oh, you have no idea," he grinned and hoisted me up onto his shoulders. I squealed a bit, not just because I didn't expect it, but because he was drunk too, so the thought of falling was pretty likely.

"W-where are we going?" I asked, clinging tightly to his head as he began walking.

"We're just gonna go cool off in the water for a bit! It's so damn hot, and I am only gonna be able to keep you up until I start wobbling, so I'd rather you fall off in the water!" Gee, how thoughtful of you…

We amazingly got into the water just fine, and he waded around a bit while only my shins and feet were getting wet. After a while, I could feel him start wobbling, and I clung to his head with all my might.

"Ow, Rebecca, you're pulling my hair!" he grunted, stumbling backwards a bit.

"I-I'm gonna fall!"

"Don't worry, I'll catch you, just stop pulling my hair!"

I screamed a bit and closed my eyes as I tipped over sideways, bracing myself for the cold water. I was surprised, then, that the water only splashed against my back. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked up to see that Wil actually had managed to catch me, though he was still wobbling a bit.

"See," he said, grinning, "I told you I would catch you."

"My hero," I pretended to swoon while giggling.

"Oh, perhaps the fair lady needs a kiss then," he said. I felt a pair of lips press against my own.

I didn't kiss back, though I wanted to badly. My eyes shot open in surprise as he lifted his head back up. I could see him blushing a little bit, but I'm sure it paled in comparison to my burning face. There was nothing more that I wanted than for a kiss from him, but was he aware that he'd done it or was he too drunk? Sure, I'd kissed him on the cheek earlier, but that was the cheek! This was so much more… intimate. No, he didn't make out with me or anything, but… wow. Kiss me again, Wil!

"Atta boy, Eddie! Get some!" I heard some guys cheering from the beach. As much as I would have liked to stay in the moment with Wil, I couldn't help looking back to see what all the commotion was about, especially if it had to do with Eddie.

I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the ground underwater when I looked and saw L'Arachel lying on top of Eddie on the shoreline. Wow, they sure work fast…

* * *

Well, I can officially say that I like writing Eddie better than Rebecca. It might be because I'm not 100% sure how to write a girl's POV, but it might also be because I like the chemistry Eddie has with L'Arachel a little better than Rebecca and Wil. Whatever, I'm trying to make the relationships reflect their personalities a bit more: Eddie's is a bit more humourous, whereas Rebecca's is more serious and emotional.

Next chapter is in Eddie's POV!

Anyway, I moved these to the bottom for convenience. I've decided that if I get 4+ reviews on a chapter I'm going to put the RRs at the bottom unless I can respond with short messages (which is near-impossible for me :P).

**Mr0cheese:** Well, howdy, stranger. Seems like it's been a while since I've seen your name around these parts. Not actually, but I was curious as to where you'd been for the past little while. I'm planning on trying one chapter per week, so updates will hopefully be frequent enough for you! Hopefully you'll get on with yours too :P

**BritRecon: **Ah, I see, well when you get around to finishing that apo… apothe… whatever it was called, I'll be sure to check it out! As for that last chapter, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as you did! The best thing about the EddiexL'ArachelxRebecca thing is that no one will have a pre-biased opinion since this is the random coupling crap that comes out of my head. Building an opinion once it starts is fine, so this all works out. As for Wil and Rebecca, I made Wil a bit of an asshole, so the unfavourable nature of their relationship is to be expected, but you'll just have to see where things go from here :P. He's hopefully a bit more likeable in this chapter.

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **I believe I touched on most of your points in the PM I sent you back, so there isn't too much to say right here. I'm glad you think that the portrayal of high school is realistic. Sure, people may think I'm being too crude or inappropriate with how these characters are acting for their age, but everything I'm making them do or say is the same sort of stuff I was doing then, so I'd say it's pretty realistic.

**Bearclaw13: **You could be the worst reviewer in the world and I would still appreciate every word (assuming I could understand you if you were the worst). As long as people are giving me feedback, I could care less about the quality of a review, as long as I know what you're trying to say.

So let me know how I did on this chapter in your reviews! If you've got any suggestions for how I could improve Rebecca's POV, don't hesitate to throw them at me! If you like it the way it is then that's fine too, just give me an idea so I don't make the wrong decisions.

Also, check out my soundcloud (link on my profile)! I think I posted a new song the day after I posted chapter 4, so there is a new one there if you didn't see it already!

Thanks for reading!

_-GengaJupite_


	6. It's a Little Sandy: Part III

I really should be working on my research assignment, but who wants to do that when there is a fic to be written? Besides, that assignment only has to be 1200 words… In case you haven't noticed, I write chapters that are, on average, five times longer than that :P. Add that to the fact that the first story I've ever written was 124k words, I should have no problem in writing something that's less than one percent of that… In short, I do what I want, bitch!

And I dunno how many of you guys are Final Fantasy fans, but I'm going to freaking Distant Worlds! Gah, so excited! If you are a FF fan, but don't know what Distant Worlds is (not sure how you wouldn't…), go on youtube and search it up! Being that I want to be a game composer, this is one of the things I can check off on my bucket list :)

Since there were only three reviewers this time, I'll thank you guys up here!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Aww yeah, cliffhangers are my favourite to write, but my least favourite to read :P. I especially hate that one of the stories I was reading ended on a cliffhanger but hasn't been updated since something like July or August… Lucky for you, I would never leave a story untouched for more than two weeks!

**BritRecon: **It's readers like you who make me love writing! I always feel so weird when people analyze my work even more than I did while writing it :P. That's not to say that you're reading into these things too much, just that I must be thinking of these things subconsciously as I'm writing them. On the topic of intoxicated thought processes, I've discovered (from experience ;P) that all of my thought processes are clear, it's just trying to convey them to other people is where the total miscommunication and drunkenness come into play, which explains her flowing thoughts. I'd say that my main goal for last chapter, though, was to develop Wil's character. Rebecca and Eddie both have character development through each other's accounts, so I decided that rather than focusing on her as much, I wanted to establish that Wil is not the asshole people have come to see him as; he's just misunderstood. Anyway, that's all for my lengthy reply, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Bearclaw13: **I'll trust your word that you don't have any worthwhile advice for Rebecca, but never be afraid to offer an opinion! Even if you think it sounds bad, the writer may not dislike your ideas. It'll always come down to if they decide to take your advice or not, so a thought never hurts. Anyway, I'm glad you liked that chapter; it wasn't designed to be as funny but I'm glad that the character development came out right!

_**Warning:**_** This chapter contains copious amounts of sexual innuendo **(Thanks to our good friend L'Arachel)**.** I may even have to change this story to an M rating because of how much stuff I have in these last few sections alone. We'll see what people think.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_It's a Little Sandy: Part III  
__(Edward)_

"Eek! Eddie, no, put me down!" L'Arachel squealed as she giggled and punched my back.

"Heh, what's the matter? I thought you wanted to get wet; or more specifically, wanted _me_ to get you wet," I snickered back, her body flailing on my shoulder.

I don't know why the hell it took so long for that damn alcohol to set into my system, but after dunking my head from L'Arachel's sexual antics, I no longer felt quite so embarrassed. In fact, as you can see, I've taken matters into my own hands. Oh yeah, you wanna get wet L'Arachel? I'll get you wet! …Man, that seems like a little much, even for my current state of mind…

"Heehee, you're terrible at being sexy, Eddie!"

"Is that so? Somehow I don't think you're in a great position to be insulting me," I said while slowly wading into the deeper parts.

"Oh, I know a sexier position…" she said in her flirty voice. "Wait, I shouldn't be encouraging you! Lemme go!"

"Let you go? Alright, you asked for it."

"WAITWAITWAITWAI-" Splash, in she goes!

I was in hysterics when she came spluttering to the surface, spitting water onto me. Oh man, I'm glad she doesn't look angry because that was just too perfect. I wish I could've seen her face when she- whoa, what the hell is touching my leg?! Sploosh! …Okay, I didn't know you could trip in the water, but apparently that was L'Arachel's way of getting me back. I guess my intoxication helped her out a bit…

"Hmph, that's what you get, ya poop!" she harrumphed and pretended to be mad… at least, I think she was pretending. "You owe me!"

"Fine, fine, I guess I'll owe you back a… TICKLE FIGHT!"

"Wha- Ah! No, Eddie d-don't… ahaha, s-stop! Heehee, you b-bastard! I can't, hahaha, breathe, Edward!"

"I just take your breath away, don't I?" I said, grinning while I tickled her sides. And to think that just a few minutes ago she was getting all touchy-feely with me. Oh, how the tables have turned.

And then I stopped when I felt something different. A look of shock came over my face when I realized what I'd just done. Drunk or not, I still have the decency to know that I'm not supposed to touch a girl's boob! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, she's gonna be pissed!

"Eddie? What's wrong? Not that I mind you not tickling me anymore," she said, seemingly oblivious.

"I-I'm really sorry, babe… I MEAN L'ARACHEL!" Oy vey, Edward… "I didn't mean to… I was going for you sides, but you were squirming around a lot and… I just-"

Instantly her confused expression turned into a wide grin as she began giggling away. What could possibly be so funny about letting me grab her boob?! That's like… like if I let her grab my dong! Well, it's not exactly the same, but guys really don't have as many hands-off areas. You guys out there should know what I'm saying. Actually, girls should understand too, it's not exactly a big secret.

"Oh, Edward, you're such a cutie when you're drunk!" she giggled. Does that mean I'm only cute when I'm drunk? Hey, I'd become an alcoholic for this girl if she wanted me to; I just pray that she doesn't…

"I, uh, I don't understand…" I stuttered a bit.

"Heehee, you really think I care that you did that? Pfft, as if! I know that it was an accident, and besides," she said, coming in a little closer, "I'd rather you save it for the bedroom if it wasn't."

Boink! Good thing she's not standing directly in front of me or she may have felt that… I guess she realized that she's gotta step up her game if I'm drunk. Seriously, I thought that all her flirty moves would be neutralized by my system, but apparently Serra was right about those being her rookie moves earlier.

"Looks like I can handle you after all, mister," she giggled and jumped onto my back. "Now, let's go back to the beach! I'm not nearly as drunk as you yet!"

"Heh, I don't know if I'll be able to handle you at that stage," I gulped.

"Well, we'll have to see about that when you let me into the tent," she whispered seductively into my ear.

"W-what tent?" I asked, genuinely confused, though afraid of what she might say.

"You know…" she giggled and held me tighter, "the one in your shorts."

…Someone kill me now... Please, anyone! Oh, the embarrassment!

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Once we'd reached the sand, L'Arachel quickly jumped off my back and made her way over towards her friends. I, on the other hand, was still dying of embarrassment and just wanted to lie down and die… or get another drink; that always works. I must have fallen on my face about six times as I made my way over to where my friends were sitting. Geez, how Sumia and Marisa handle this all the time is beyond me.

"Hey, Eddie, you've got a bit of sand on you," snickered Boyd, gesturing to my entire front.

"Oh, really? I didn't notice," I replied sarcastically, brushing as much of it off as I could.

"Heh, let's get a drink, bud, I need to talk to you about something anyway," he laughed.

We made our way to the coolers and pulled out a couple of beers for ourselves. It still amazes me that we have enough, given that there are probably around sixty people with us. I suppose a few of them don't drink, but even still. The two of us hobbled over to where a bunch of the populars and people from our group were sitting. I could see Rebecca and Wil down by the water, walking away from everyone. Bleh, look at her hanging onto him like he's a cool guy. You suck, Wil!

"So, I saw you and L'Arachel over in the water," Boyd chuckled. Luckily for me, the other people around us were all indulged in their own conversations.

"Yeah, what of it?" He knows I like her; hell, the whole school pretty much found out after Rennac and Vaike blabbed.

"Heh, you gonna get on that, bro?"

"I want to. I just have to make sure Rennac is outta the picture."

"Right, right. Remind me again why he's not part of JDB?"

I actually had to stop and think about it for a second. Why did we not classify him as a douche? He certainly has all the qualities of one and most of his closer friends are JDB members. I guess it would seem biased if I suggested we switch him into that group though.

"Honestly, I dunno, but I don't think that's why you wanted to talk to me, man," I said, gulping down some beer.

"You're a clever kid, you know that, Eddie?" he chuckled, guzzling down his drink and crushing the can. "I also saw you talking to Feena earlier."

"Man, you really like watching me, don'tcha?"

"Shut up, I just happened to notice is all!" he bellowed, earning us some weird looks. I just laughed and shook my head. "Anyway, the point was this: Feena's hot, I'm hot, think I've got a shot? Whoa, accidental rhymes. Ayoooo!"

Hmm, I promised that I wouldn't say anything about it, but I'm certain that strongly hinting that he should go for it isn't exactly telling him anything. Damn, Eddie, you're so smart about being sneaky! Oh, stop it, Eddie; _you're _the sneaky one… Wow, I don't usually have mind conversations with myself when I'm drunk…

"Pathetic."

Whoa, whoa, whoa, people, I didn't say that, calm yourselves! Boyd and I looked over in surprise in the direction where the voice came from. Navarre was sitting by himself while carving a stick into a little dagger with some kind of pocketknife. He wasn't sitting particularly close, or even facing us, but it seemed apparent that the statement was directed at our conversation. See, now you understand even better why the quiet people freak me out. Boyd seemed a little unhappy with the insult though.

"Yo, Rapunzel, you got something to say to me? Why don't you say it to my face?"

Navarre glanced up at us briefly but instantly went back to his carving. We watched him for a few more moments until he examined the little wooden dagger, put his carving knife away, and carelessly tossed the wooden one away before turning toward us.

"Feena's not your type," he stated darkly.

"Pshaw, and you think _you_ of all people would know her?" Boyd nearly laughed.

"Uh, Boyd," I said, "not to take his side, but he and Feena know each other pretty well…"

"Yeah… well… that's beside the point! Who's this guy think he is, trying to tell me who I can and can't go for, huh?! What, you got a thing for her too or something?"

"No."

"Then step aside, brownielocks!" Ugh, sometimes Boyd comes up with the worst insulting names.

"I don't like her, but I'll keep idiots like you from going for her."

"Oooh, mister guardian over here thinks he's tough shit!" Boyd said in mock fear.

"Don't test me," Navarre said just as plainly as earlier.

"Oh, that's how it is then. C'mon, don't be a pussy, you wimp!" Oh geez, Boyd's getting a liiittle too riled up right now…

"I don't fight drunken idiots… It wouldn't be a fair fight. I also don't fight idiots in general, so you can count me out."

"THAT'S IT, PRETTYBOY, TIME TO DIE!"

I was helpless to stop him as Boyd shot up to his feet and lunged at Navarre. I was expecting some huge rolling fight with sand getting kicked everywhere and a whole lot of violence, but instead got the quickest and most anticlimactic fight I've ever seen… Basically, Boyd lunged forward, but Navarre, being the nimble bastard he is, hopped a little to the right and gave a solid chop to the rugby player's pressure point. I'm pretty surprised I caught all those movements, being as drunk as I am. You'd think that I might be quick to help Boyd out, but actually, as soon as Boyd hit the ground unconscious, I burst out laughing. Yeah, yeah, call me a terrible friend, but it was freaking hilarious at the time!

"Golly, ya reckon he's okay?" gasped Nephenee.

"Hoo wee, he looks deader'n a sloth in the farmhouse!" shouted Donny. Uh, a sloth… in the farmhouse? Let's just say Donny's a little drunk too…

"Edwarddlesmfmbleh… D'ya think Boyd's 'unna be m'kay?" Leo… said(?) as he basically collapsed on me.

"Heh, uh, I think I'd be a little more concerned about you at the moment," I chuckled, forcing myself not to laugh too hard.

"Whuzzat s'posed to mean *urp*" he slurred.

"How many drinks have you had, Leo? And where's Nino?"

He took a moment to count on his fingers before responding to me. "Nine beers, three shots." Okay, I couldn't help but laugh when he held up eight fingers when he said nine beers. "Oh, Nino's sleeping. Shhhhhh!"

I looked in the direction he was pointing to see Nino sprawled out on the ground while Clarine, Ross, Ewan, and Amelia drew things on her. Heather also seemed to be drawing, though it seemed more like feeling up than drawing, especially considering that her marker still had the cap on…

Honestly, it was getting to be a little hard to keep track of everything going on around me, so I decided to chug down a couple more beers and wobbled myself down to the water, leaving the others to attend to Boyd. Man, who knew it was gonna be so hot today? I mean when does it ever get to thirty-five Celsius?! Oh, right, some of you are 'Muricans… ninety-five Fahrenheit?! …Oh, what the hell, just for shits and giggles, three hundred eight point one five Kelvins?! But seriously, I'm hot and so is this climate (badum tss). Don't ask me how I know those conversions…

Ah, water, how I miss your cooling sensation. Mark and Robin were tossing a Frisbee over by the shore, but I don't think I have the coordination to join them right now. No, I would much rather laze about in the water.

"Eddie? Why are you hanging out in the water like a loser by yourself?" asked a voice from beside me. I looked over to see Serra and Tethys moving towards me.

"Gee, thanks, Serra… I'm just cooling off FYI."

"Shouldn't you be with L'Arachel?" she jeered.

"Shouldn't you be with Mark?" I countered. Ha! You lose, Serra!

"Touché…"

"Um, Eddie?" asked Tethys.

I looked at her in surprise. Despite the fact that there's a lot of drama going on with her and Gerik, and she's also Ewan's sister, I've never actually talked to her. Sure, we know who each other are (well, I wasn't sure if she knew me, but apparently she does), but I think the most we may have ever said was 'hey' or something like that. But, hey, there's no problem with an undeniably attractive dancer talking to me.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"I was just wondering… well, it's about Gerik." Oh boy, I was afraid of this. Let's just hope I can keep my mouth shut…

"Okay…"

"Are he and Marisa dating?"

Oh, how this pains me to answer! I want to say that they are but I can't! But if I tell her that they aren't then it's gonna be all 'oh, then I guess it's free game! Thanks for ruining them for me, Edward'… I can't go through with that! But I can't tell her that they are dating, 'cause then I'll get caught up in all the crap that goes on if she finds out they aren't… Gah, Gerik, why can't you just ask Marisa out already?! Life would be **so** much easier if you freaking got on that!

"Um… I don't think officially, but I can't exactly say they're not together…" Don't get mad, what the hell would you say in my situation?!

"So technically he's single?"

Gods dammit, why do you have to keep pushing this?! I need an out, and fast. Think, think, think, what can a drunk do to get out of this? I don't really wanna force myself to puke… I don't really feel like I need to and it would be pretty freaking obvious if I started jamming fingers down my throat…

"I… suppose if you want to get into the technical bits… yes…" I said, deflated and feeling like I just betrayed Marisa. I can't have my hottest friend hating me!

"M'kay, thanks!" she said gleefully and headed back towards the sand; I hung my head in shame.

"I don't get you, Eddie," Serra said somewhat sincerely (whoa, the number of S sounds in that was craaaaazy!).

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean I don't care about your friends' relationships or anything." And the award for Miss Sensitivity goes to her… "But shouldn't you be, I dunno, lying to save Marisa and Gerik? Or is it that you're a little drama-lover? Heehee, you should join the club."

"No! I just… I'm bad at lying, so I gave her the worst-sounding truth possible."

"Aww, Honest Eddie sticks up for his friends, how cheesy," she giggled. "Oh, and speaking of drama, here comes your boo. I should probably leave you two alone."

I tried to protest but she just winked, said a couple things to L'Arachel that I couldn't hear, and left the two of us out in the water.

"Heh, I don't think I've ever seen you talk to Serra so much!" said a noticeably drunker L'Arachel.

"Yeah, well, she's a bit frustrating to deal with," I huffed.

"Hey, that's not very nice! I would smack you if you weren't so cute!" she giggled, stumbling into me.

I blushed, not really sure if I should be embarrassed or flattered. Damn, drinking usually helps, but I guess L'Arachel just knows how to mess with my apathy. That's okay; she's looking pretty good right now; pretty… kissable. Ooooh, I want to feel those lips. …NOT THOSE LIPS YOU NASTY PIGS! Though, I wouldn't mind it… Gah! Sometimes I hate testosterone… That's enough sex talk…

"Hehe, wanna go for a walk?" I asked. It would give me a chance to hold her while she stumbles while giving us some nice alone time.

"Mm, okay! You're gonna have to hooold me!" she said, giving me a wink. Well, L'Arachel, that's partially the idea.

We made our way towards the shallows. Heh, I guess I forgot how drunk I was because I was stumbling just as much as she was, if not more. We awkwardly danced around, grabbing onto each other for support. It wasn't quite as couple-y as I wanted it to be, but, hey, I still got to hold onto her. Sometimes looking like a drunken dumbass has its advantages.

"Whoa!" she cried, wobbling towards me. I was quick to catch her, but I wasn't expecting her to run into me so hard, and I'm not exactly stable myself. I did what I could to keep us up, but it was pointless. After a few awkward tango steps, my feet tripped over each other and I fell back. Oh, this is gonna hurt…

Oof! Y'know, landing on sand isn't quite as comfortable as you might expect… The grains are all scratchy and stuff. Well, at least I come out the gentleman in this situation. Aw yeah, look at L'Arachel using me as a cushion so that she didn't have to hit the ground. I'm such a great guy that I… let her… lie right on top of me… while both of us are half naked… Oh gods, don't have another Marisa moment!

"Woo! Atta boy, Eddie, Get some!" Ike, Gerik, and a bunch of other guys cheered me on from the side. I looked over to see a crowd laughing and cheering for us, a wolf whistle sounding every few seconds.

"Mmm, you make quite the nice cushion, Edward," L'Arachel said, a strangely dreamy and seductive look in her eye.

"Hehe," I chuckled shakily, knowing that I was in for some flirtatious torment, "m-maybe we should j-just go for that walk now…"

"Oh, so soon? I kinda like this though. I could do _anything_ with you in this position." She wiggled her body side to side a bit as she said that. Why do you do this to me, woman?! Ugh, I hate how much I'm enjoying this. IT'S FOR ALL THE FREAKING WRONG REASONS AND WE'RE IN PUBLIC!

"Hey, no sex on the beach over here!" laughed Mark. While it wasn't exactly the best way to say it, I was a bit relieved that he was kinda backing me up. "You gotta move over that way if you're gonna get wild!" I take it back; Mark's an asshole…

"That sounds like fun," she said in a crazy, ridiculously sexy voice while running her finger up my side, "we can get our walk done _and_ get a little crazy."

Sweet Naga, I'm trying so hard not to get hard right now… This is like being in a badly scripted, x-rated film, except that L'Arachel is making me think that the scripting is good. Oh, lordy, I might cry over how much I'm lusting right now! L'Arachel, you are the devil! The hot, sexy, deliciously sensual she-devil that I never thought I'd be affected by. Seriously, it makes me wonder how she would treat Rennac if he actually liked her… Nope, Eddie, you've gotta focus on not getting too sucked into all of this!

Noticing my speechlessness, she giggled softly and whispered in my ear, "C'mon, I think it's time for that walk."

My mind is coming apart. Literally, I think all the gears and hinges and whatnot are shutting down and exploding in my brain. However, to quote Reggie Fils-aime, my body is ready. It shouldn't be, but it is sooo ready. Curse you, L'Arachel! You are the living, breathing definition of lust! _I hate how much I love you, girl; I can't stand how much I need you…_ Not the time to be singing that…

She purposely slid down my body as she went to stand, sending shivers all throughout my nervous system, and she held out a hand to help me up. Reluctantly, but somehow willingly, I took her hand and we began walking the direction that Rebecca and Wil had gone much earlier. Actually, I looked back for a second to see those two looking at us with very red faces. Either something happened between them, or Rebecca was pissed off. It could've been either or.

"L-L'Arachel," I slurred, stumbling in my steps a bit, "we aren't… actually going to, a-are we?" I'm assuming not, but you never can tell with this girl…

"Am I not sexy enough for you, Eddie? I could turn it up a bit more," she giggled, holding onto me for support.

"N-no! That's okay, you're plenty sexy enough!" I could feel my cheeks turn up by about a million degrees. Man, she seriously knows every way to get me embarrassed.

"Heehee, that's sweet of you to say," she said, drunkenly running her hand over my face for no reason. "And I won't tell if you don't."

Ugh, there is no reasoning with her! Does she even know what a straight answer is?! I mean I would love to go crazy and whatnot, but this doesn't seem like the time or place… What am I saying?! I'm not ready for this shit! Hell, what kind of memory would that be for my first time: at the beach, super drunk with my super tease of a crush?! I should change the subject before this gets out of hand…

"I, uh… um… er… that is…" Brain, y u no work? "What about Rennac?"

Seriously?! Why in hell would I ever think of that?! Gods dammit, if I can get a replacement brain sometime, I'll do it. That is probably THE worst thing I could've said right then. I'm ashamed of myself… Stupid, stupid, stupid, Eddie! Yeah, laugh it up, you guys, this is probably the most ridiculous situation you've ever heard of. I mean most guys would be like 'sex with L'Arachel? Yo, someone pass me a rubber!', but not me, right?! Gotta ask her about the guy she actually likes…

Her expression didn't exactly change though, and she leaned into me a little more, forcing me to stumble to the side and almost collapse again. _Almost._

"Oh, Eddie, don't worry about him. He's kind of mean to me, so I'm reconsidering how I feel about him." Um, kind of mean?! If that's what she thinks being kind of mean is, then I'd hate to see loathsome! And does that make me some kind of saint?! "Why d'you ask?"

"N-no reason… er, well, there is a reason, but I'd rather tell you it later. For now I'd rather just enjoy this walk with you."

"Only the walk?" she snickered.

*Sigh* the rest of the walk pretty much went that way: me saying something harmless, her turning it super sexual, usually followed by her 'accidentally' stumbling into me to the point where I would almost fall over with her on top of me. I swear someone's gonna pay if this is all some cruel prank. I bet Serra has something to do with it…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

To be honest with you, nothing much more interesting than all that crap I went through went on until about seven o'clock when we started up the bonfire. It wasn't exactly dark yet, but it'd be easier to get it going now than later. Oh, forget what I said about nothing interesting happening, Leo threw up and everyone laughed at him. Typical lightweight Leonardo, though I think Nino is still willing to kiss him. Gross. As much as I want to go crazy with L'Arachel, I would never kiss her after she threw up unless she had a very thorough mouth rinsing.

Actually, I'm not really sure where everyone got this firewood from, but it looks like we'll have enough to last us all night! Now I'm just waiting for that one guy who can only sort of play the guitar to come out and start singing badly. Oh look, there's Inigo. And look what he's holding, a guitar. And look what he's doing: playing it in a mediocre fashion while singing slightly off-key. Probably thinks he can score babes with that.

I lost count of what beer I was on, but I think it had to be somewhere close to twenty. I think I paced myself pretty well though, especially since I'm keeping an eye on Leo, who's passed out beside me. Still, to say that I'm sober would be far from the truth. Yeah, twenty beers from ten a.m. to seven p.m. isn't ridiculous when you're in party mode, but that isn't counting the number of shots and swigs I took. Man, I wonder how Sothe's doing. He's probably had more shots than anyone here since he's been the de facto bartender…

"Yo, Eddie," said Ike as he was passing behind me, "are you cool to camp out for the night? I'm doubting I'm gonna sober up enough to drive us home…"

"Yeah, no worries man," I responded with an awkward, drunken wave.

"Cool," he said before heading off towards some of the Elites.

"Heh, Eddie, if they're both gonna be passed out, at least let them sleep near each other!" said Rebecca, carrying a sleeping Nino over towards Leo.

"Sorry if I didn't think about it," I laughed. "What have you been up to all day? I haven't seen you since that stupid group hug! Well, I've been getting glimpses of you every now and then, but not in any moment when I would come over and talk."

"That was… a strangely worded sentence," she giggled, "but, yeah, I haven't really been doing too much; just wandering with people and hanging out. I saw you and L'Arachel getting… close."

She almost sounded disgusted when she said close, but I didn't take it as anything. I'm not sure if Bec dislikes L'Arachel, but it's not really a huge issue. I don't like Wil, she doesn't like L'Arachel; so in the end we can both hate each other's boy/girlfriend… well, assuming L'Arachel and I actually start dating…

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could put it that way… I spent most of today hanging out with her if that's what you mean."

She smirked at me oddly, making me wonder what she meant. "Oh, well, I was actually talking about when she was sprawled out on top of you!"

"Right, that… well, it looked like something went on with you and Wil at that time too. I glanced over and you both had tomato-faces!" Ha! A perfect counterattack!

"Oh, um, yes, well, something did… I suppose…" she stuttered, blushing as she recalled the moment. I didn't need to ask her what happened, seeing as I just won that little contest. Getting her to blush was all I needed to see.

"Hey, Eddie, can you come here for a sec?" someone asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

I spun around to see Callil. "Uh, sure. I'll talk to you later, Bec?"

"Okay, see ya!"

Getting up, I followed Callil somewhere. Like Tethys, I haven't really had much interaction with the blonde before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Then again, I was a little too intoxicated to care at the moment. She led me to where Henry, Mist, and Lissa were chatting away about something. Great, I have a feeling I know what's coming…

"Here he is!" Callil announced as we sat down with them.

"Uh, someone wanna tell me what's going on?" I asked, glancing around at each of them.

"Oh! Me, me, me!" shouted Henry. I would've felt more comfortable with one of the girls doing it, but I suppose there's nothing wrong with Henry… "Haha, okay, so we saw you talking to L'Arachel earlier! Now, I think you're a great guy, Eddie, but let me be clear, if you hurt her in some way, I'll skin you alive and implode your head! Haha, sounds funny, right?! Oh it'll be such a bloody mess! Mm, blood…"

… … … … Okay, I must apologize for this, so excuse my language, but what in the actual fuck did he just say?! I know he's prone to say weird things, but I didn't realize he was a complete lunatic! Is this really why they brought me over here; so Henry could basically explain some psychopathic, serial killer scenario to me if I ever hurt L'Arachel?!

"Henry!" Lissa smacked him. "You'll scare him off that way! You were supposed to tell him that they would make the most adorable couple ever and that he should treat her like a queen!"

Well, that sounded a lot nicer, though I can't say that I'm reconsidering asking her out now… Hey, I said I'd become an alcoholic for her, not a skinned, head-imploded victim of Henry. Either way, that doesn't really explain why they wanted me over here.

"Um, what makes you guys think I was gonna… ask her out?" I said, wobbling a bit and trying to hide my blush.

"It seems pretty obvious that there's something going on," Mist said, shrugging and taking a sip of her drink. "I mean L'Arachel isn't all that close with any of you guys except for you!"

"Yeah… but I've been talking to all of you guys today!"

"But you're drunk; it doesn't count!" Callil argued. "And you've been spending most of your time with just her!"

"I don't get what you guys are trying to get me to do here… I'll admit I've been spending more time with her today, but that doesn't prove anything!" Yeah, it's a weak attempt at hiding my feelings, but they might not pick up on it, right?

"Please," huffed Lissa, "it's so obvious you like her! And she's not doing all that sexy stuff for shits and giggles you know!"

I guess their reputation as the gossipers gives them that edge for picking subtle things out… Maybe I wasn't that subtle… Now that I think about it I have no idea what I did with her today. Stupid alcohol.

"Okay, fine, suppose I do like her," I started, though they could see right through me, "what does that have to do with dragging me over here?"

"You're so thick, you know that?!" said Mist, knocking me on the head a few times. "It's almost sunset, you like her, she may or may not be doing all those flirty things for a reason, and now's probably the best time to ask her out!"

"Psh, you're crazy," I chuckled.

In truth I was planning to wait until it was actually dark, but she did have a point with the whole sunset thing. I guess it would make some sense since I'm a bit less drunk now… But then, that was the reason I wanted to do it later, so that I would be way too drunk when she rejects me, though they're pretty convinced that she's flirting with me for a reason. She did say that she was getting over Rennac… But why would she want a guy like me? I'm so average! Then again, the only reason Rennac isn't average is because he's a major douchebag… I really should request that we put him under JDB… No, stay on topic, Edward!

"Eddie, ask her out or… or we'll let Henry do something to you!" laughed Clarine, who apparently just came over here, but knew what was going on.

"Ooh, can I pull your toenails out?!" Henry asked eagerly. Seriously, this kid needs some serious therapy sessions or something!

"Okay, okay, sheesh, you guys are brutal," I whined a bit, hiding my feet so that Henry would stay away. These are _my_ toes, you sadistic bastard! "I'll talk to her in a bit, but I can't guarantee anything."

"Ooh, five bucks says she'll say yes!" Lissa squealed.

"You're on!" chuckled Callil.

"Can I bet Eddie's toenails?"

"NO, STAY AWAY FROM MY FEET!"

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Well, I thought I was gonna be a bit more sober for this, but I got way too nervous and went over to bartender Sothe, took four shots with him, and… I suppose you could say I crawled since I was on the ground more than I was on my feet, to find L'Arachel. It made me a little nervous when I saw her chatting away with Serra, Lalum, and Feena, but I had a job to do; after all, my skin, head, and probably toenails are on the line!

"…-ride him so hard," I heard L'Arachel finish saying something as I approached them. That half sentence alone made my nerves go insane.

"Oh, I thought you were joking around before!" Feena squealed.

"Hey, I probably would too, he looks like he'd be good," giggled Lalum.

"I'm sure that he'd be happy about it too," added Serra.

Okay, I shouldn't jump to conclusions, but I really hope they're talking about me. Man, what I wouldn't give to get with L'Arachel. Huh? What do you mean I was acting completely the opposite way earlier?! You people are crazy; I would never turn down that opportunity! Man, I wish I had a rubber on me… Okay, stop calling me a hypocrite; I have absolutely no idea what any of you are talking about! Buncha weirdos, you lot…

"Uh, hey," I said, stumbling into their little group and falling next to L'Arachel.

"Eddie! You didn't hear any of that, did you?" she asked me while the other three giggled amongst themselves.

"Um, I heard you say you'd ride someone so hard and everything after that. I didn't catch a name though. Might it have been moi?"

They all burst out laughing, making me feel a little more insecure about the situation. Whatever, drunk me takes on many personalities, and this one is flirty and confident; like a male L'Arachel, if you will.

"Heehee, you seem a lot more flirty right now!" she giggled, before adding, "I like it."

"Oh, good, because I needed to… _talk_ to you in private for a moment," I said, giving her an obvious wink. It's funny because that's all I want to do, but if I can make it sound like I wanna do something else, then by all means, I'll do it. Confidence, Eddie; be cool and be confident.

"Wow, I like the sound of that," she said standing and helping me up. The other three kept giggling and waved us off. Aw yeah, too hammered to care right now!

"So," she said after we'd wobbled away from everyone else, "what's this all about?"

"Aww, can't a guy just ask his friend for a private walk?" I chuckled, tripping over my feet a bit.

"Well, yes, but," she lowered her voice, leaning in towards me, "it sounded like there was something a little more… _intimate_ planned for me."

I suppose technically it is intimate, just not in the way she's expecting. But now that it's actually come time to ask her, I'm kinda worrying. It's not so much that I'm afraid she'll reject me, but more the fact that I didn't plan out what to say… I mean, yeah, I probably would've forgotten by now if I had, but I don't think I planned anything out before. Lemme just scroll up and check to my earlier drunken drabble… Nope, nothing up there. Guess I didn't plan it out.

"L'Arachel," I started, adopting a more serious tone, "um… what… how do you feel… about Rennac?"

"Huh? This again, Eddie?" Again? Scroll up, scroll up, scroll up, ah, I guess I did ask her about him earlier. Oops… "I wasn't expecting you to ask that, but okay. I've been thinking, and I don't think I really like him anymore. I actually can't remember why I liked him so much before. He's so mean, and he isn't even that hot! Ugh, I was stooping low with him."

I had to forcibly stop myself from cheering and giving her a huge kiss on the lips right then. Finally, she sees the error of her ways! Rennac is a douche and she knows it! Yeeeeees! She even said he wasn't hot, so boom, Rennac! You've been removed from her mind!

"Why?" she asked, though she seemed to be expecting something from me.

"Oh, uh, well, if we're being honest here, I always thought he was an asshole. I couldn't wrap my head around why you liked him so much, but I never bothered asking you about it. Hey, can we sit down? I'm wobbling way too much right now."

"Heehee, sure."

"Thanks. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh, right. Okay, but yeah, I always thought you deserved better than him, which is why I couldn't understand why you liked him. You're an awesome chick, L'Arachel, and he's just a dick. You're funny, pretty, maybe a little too sexual at times, but I would be able to handle that."

"You'd be able to handle it? What do you mean?"

Oh shit, did I just indirectly say what I think I did? Well, I suppose there's no going back on this now…

"Um, well, I… Okay, apparently I've been really obvious about it all day, but I'll just say it right now because it's hard to hide it from you; though if I've been as obvious as everyone's saying, then you'll probably have noticed already. Honestly, I thought I was doing at least a decent job of hiding it. Maybe it's because I'm drunk so my thoughts are flawed and-"

"You're stalling, Eddie."

I could feel my face start burning up as I readied myself for what to say. "Right, sorry. What I'm trying to say is that… well, I like you, L'Arachel. Like, I _really_ like you. Like, like you like you. I have since art class last year, but I was always afraid to say something because you're one of the popular people and I'm, well, not. The fact that you were into Rennac wasn't really helping me out much either."

She giggled a bit, but didn't say anything. Then she leaned onto my shoulder and sighed. "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised, Eddie, but I certainly wasn't expecting you to tell me so soon! You were pretty obvious about it though, what with all the blushing and tickling and flirty stuff you were doing."

"Hey, to be fair, the blushing could've been because of how flirty _you_ were being!" I laughed. "After all, most people don't say the types of things you do to me all the time."

"Mm, that's because you're just so fun to tease!" she giggled, turning her head on my shoulder to look up at me.

We didn't say anything for a couple minutes after that. I was trying to work out how I should go about actually asking her to be my girlfriend. I'd already gotten past step one, but I didn't really know how this went. What was I supposed to do, just straight up ask her if she would be my girlfriend? That doesn't seem right, and I would kind of feel like a loser doing that. But if I'm not straightforward, then I don't think she would see a date as anything more than just us hanging out… Damn life and all it's complications. I guess the only thing I can do is just say what's on my mind. I feel like a cheesy love advisor saying that…

"Hey, um," I gulped, unsure of what to say, "I know it might seem a bit forward, but… well, would you maybe want to, I dunno, go out somewhere sometime… as… y'know… more than friends?"

"Eddie, are you asking me out?" Why do girls always do that?! Seriously, it's like it isn't bad enough, but they need to hear you say it straight up, like 'yes, I am indeed asking you to be my girlfriend'. Stupid woman logic…

"Hehe, um," I chuckled for no real reason, "I, well… yes…" Might as well just say it, right?

"Oh, Eddie, I… I don't know what to say. You're amazing and cute and just the kind of guy I need," she said sweetly. Yes! Aw yeah, it's happening!

"But-"

Shit. That was the one word that would ruin all of this for me. Gods dammit, and I got my hopes up too. I even remember at the beginning of the day telling myself not to get my hopes up, but what do I do? I freaking do it… Ugh, I'm hopeless. Time to go die in a hole…

"-I just don't know if I want to date anyone right now. It's nothing to do with you, because I would love to be your girlfriend, honestly. Just… maybe can we wait a bit? I'd love to go on that date with you still."

My heart skipped a beat at her answer. Sure, it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but it was probably the second best thing I could've expected. I smiled at her warmly, content with her reply and happy with myself. The hard part was over.

"Yeah, that's cool. Heh, I think I got my hopes up a little too much there."

"Well, I do feel a bit bad about turning you down. I guess I owe you this for being so flirty with you then."

She took her head off my shoulder and grasped mine in her hands. I can't even tell you what it was like to have her kiss me on the lips right then in the sunset on the beach, not to mention that we barely have any clothes on. I wasn't so surprised that I couldn't kiss back, so I gave her my best non-makeout kiss. Yeah, buddy, this is going in my list of greatest moments in my life at number two. Number one you ask? Shaking hands with Shigeru Miyamoto. That's right, people; I shook hands with the master of Nintendo! But that's not important right now because I'm currently kissing this green-haired babe of a goddess.

I'm sure I had the dumbest grin on my face when we pulled apart. She giggled a bit and leaned her head back on my shoulder. Hey, we're not officially together, but that kiss must've been pretty significant.

"Wow, that kiss is gonna stick in my mind while I'm camping out here tonight," I breathed.

"You're camping out here?" she asked.

"Yeah, Ike says he's gonna be too hammered to drive us home, so him, Leo, and I are camping out here tonight. Probably other people will too, so it's not a huge issue."

"Oh, well, if you want you could come back to my house." Right, the rich section of Magvel is only about a ten-minute walk from here. "My uncle is gone for the week, so you could always stay with me. It's pretty lonesome in the house, and we could always… do other things."

Well, at least she's still being her usual flirty self. I had to think about it for a moment though. The idea of staying at her huge house with her was a cool idea, and she said it would be just us two. Now, I don't know if she was joking about that sex thing, but I'm getting more convinced that I should go with her. Ike would understand, and it's not like I brought anything that I can't carry on my back. I'd have to let Leo and Ike know at least. Oh, and probably Rebecca; she's such a worrywart about these things.

"Is it really so lonesome and scary?" I asked, pretending that I was actually considering not going.

"It really is," she said, though still in her flirty tone. "Sometimes I have to cuddle with my pillows because it's so lonely. I just wish that someone else could be staying there with me. I don't usually have other people in my bed, but it would certainly help me feel more comfortable if I could snuggle up with someone. I'd definitely have to feel them a bit to make sure that they're comfortable enough. Might even have to… taste them."

Wow, that was… blatant. I mean I _think_ she's joking but geez, she takes things pretty far. If it weren't getting colder out I'd go dunk my head in the water. Actually, it isn't that cold. Maybe I should, but then I'd have to leave L'Arachel sitting here by herself while I dry off. Okay, I guess I'll put up with this. At least I can hide little Eddie by bringing my knees up. Aw yeah, so clever and inconspicuous.

"I _suppose_ if you want, I can stay with you tonight," I sighed in mock annoyance, "but no funny business, you."

"Oh, no funny business? I didn't think you'd be the type to skip straight to the intense stuff."

"And what would the intense stuff entail?"

"Why don't you let your imagination run wild with that one," she whispered into my ear.

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE, I hope this is all serious. Shut up, all of you, I did not say that I wouldn't want this!

* * *

I didn't know what to list off as his number one thing, so I just made something up that I think would be sick. I'd probably need some new pants if I got to meet Miyamoto in person, so I figured it would be an appropriate thing to write down.

Anyway, wow, Eddie chapters turn out so long, don't they? Sorry if that ending seemed abrupt, but I didn't know how to smooth it out. And what did you all think of L'Arachel turning him down? I mean technically they are going on a date, but I made it so that they aren't boyfriend-girlfriend on purpose. I won't tell you if they ever reach that stage, but I will say that their relationship does grow some more from here. I also haven't decided if I'm doing a chapter on him staying over at her house or not, so you'll just have to wait and find out ;)

**Next chapter is in Rebecca's POV **and will be the last segment of _It's a Little Sandy._

I know people have been enjoying these chapters, but I do need to move on with the story. I still don't even know if I'm going to make this story last throughout the whole school year, but it will get through a significant chunk. I at least want it to get past New Year's. I haven't planned out what's happening during some future events yet, but I know I want more drama and partying!

Also, as you may have guessed, the main side story at this time is the TethysxGerikxMarisa love triangle. I know I haven't actually had Gerik and Marisa have much (if any at this point) interaction, but there will be some later on. It's just a bit hard to touch on it if everything is from Eddie and Rebecca's POV. At the moment, I'm not sure which other side stories I've mentioned will be touched upon most, but I know that there will be something with the quiet people, possibly IkexElincia, and probably BoydxFeena.

So let me know what you thought of this chapter in your reviews and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	7. It's a Little Sandy: Part IV

Before I begin, I'd like to ask that you go to my profile and vote on whether this story deserves an M rating or not! I personally think it's T appropriate(ish), but it isn't at my discretion, so please let me know what you think! I won't close the poll until I have a very certain answer that yes, it should be changed or no, it's unnecessary.

I most certainly should be working on my essay now, but I'm a procrastinator! This will probably be the first time I started writing a chapter for this story more than two days before it gets posted! Three days isn't much, but it's better than two, right? Right.

Anyway, I'm still not completely sure what direction this story is going in lol. I know a bit of what I want immediately following _It's a Little Sandy_, but other than that I'm still making it up as I go along :P. I guess it's a good thing I established somewhat of a plotline, yeah? Also, Golden Sun fans, I've been reading a few fics in that fandom lately and I'm feeling so inspired to write for that again! I'm actually bursting with willingness to write for it, but alas, I'm getting held up enough as it is by the four stories I'm currently writing… Yeah, you heard me right; I'm doing FE, Kingdom Hearts, GS & Xenoblade, and a secret one that won't be posted until it's finished. I also have plans for a GS one in the future, but that won't get posted until I'm at least most of the way through one of these others… Sorry! But that's the way the cookie crumbles. I've also been inspired to write something Zelda-related (total MalonxLink and MarinxLink nerd over here!). Stupid brain, y u no focus?!

Thanks for reviewing!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Thanks for your continued support! I wanted to keep Henry in character with his actual personality without it seeming out of place in an AU. As for Gerik and Marisa, I do have somewhat of an idea of what'll happen between them ;). On a different note, I almost peed myself when I saw that you placed this story on your page! To see that one of my stories has made it onto someone's top ten list of favourites (that I can physically see) is super humbling; especially considering I've only been writing for about 4 ½ months! All I can say right now is thank you!

**BritRecon: **I'm also jealous of Eddie, but I may potentially have a chance (albeit a very slim one) to meet Nobuo Uematsu on April 24! He's the guy who used to make all the music for Final Fantasy, if you don't know. Back on topic though, hopefully it didn't crush your spirits to see L'Arachel turn him down! I didn't want anything monumental to happen between them just yet, but that isn't to say nothing will in the future ;). I can't go into specifics (partially because it would ruin the story [not to mention that I actually don't know how they're going to develop yet :P]) but I will say that those two, as well as Wil and Rebecca, are definitely going to have some more romantic development. As for the side stories, I'm still working out the GMT love triangle, but I'm for sure thinking about the others. Btw, I don't mind your long reviews; in fact, I prefer them to short ones! They give me something nice to read when I'm bored :P

**Bearclaw13: **I think for now I'm going to keep this as rated T, but depending on the future chapters, I may change it if I get too carried away with sexuality. It doesn't make you a bad person at all for liking L'Arachel! I almost always find myself liking characters in a story that act like her; they keep things interesting :). I'm hoping that Rebecca's narration will start picking up a bit. As much as I love Eddie (and believe me, I've never enjoyed writing a character so much), I think he's stealing too much attention right now. I still want to stick to my funny Eddie and romantic/more-serious Rebecca, so I may start giving her some more dramatic twists than Eddie. I'm not sure exactly what at the moment, but I need her to get some fan love too!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one. I also don't own any of these songs.

* * *

_It's a Little Sandy: Part IV  
__(Rebecca)_

"This next song goes out to all the lovely ladies out here. I call it '_The Campfire Song Song'._"

"Isn't that a song from Spongebob…?"

"A-Absurd! I would never stoop so low as to sing a cartoonish song for all the beautiful beach babes out here!"

"Really, Inigo? Because the other ten billion you sang didn't already come from somewhere else?"

"My, my, it seems I've got a fan, or at least a jealous groupie vying for my attention. Why don't we talk after the sun goes down, love?"

"Inigo! We're cousins, you sicko!"

"…Oops, I didn't see who was talking… Sorry, Olivia… This is awkward, so on with the song!"

You know, as much as the Shameless Six annoy the living bajeesus out of me, I can't help but laugh at some of the messes they get themselves into. I mean who else wouldn't recognize their own cousin's voice and then follow up by offering her some… naughty advances. They might think they're smooth, but they have as much tact as… well, as someone who has less tact than I currently do… which is very little since I've somehow come into possession of yet another full shot glass… No use wasting it! Down the hatch!

"Pbbbtht!" Leo blew a raspberry as some sand blew into his sleeping face. "Mm, hey, Rebecca," he said sleepily. "Why's it so freakin' hot?"

"Heehee, perhaps it's because you're sleeping next to our bonfire and using Nino as a personal blanket."

He looked down to his torso to see none other than his green-haired love interest taking a little snooze on top of him. "Oh," was all he managed to say before laying his head back down and dozing off again. Gah! They're so cute together; I can't even handle it! I suppose neither of them exactly denies that they like each other, but I'll be cheering for them all the way until they get married! Okay, maybe that's a little too far, but I think it could happen. A warm hand lightly touched my arm, and I gasped a bit at the heat.

"Holy crap!" I yelped as I saw Wil take a seat beside me. "You're so hot!"

"Hehe, you're not too bad yourself, Rebecca," he snickered.

I smacked his arm off and giggled a bit. "Ugh, that is _not_ what I meant!" Except that it wouldn't be a lie if it were… "Why are your hands so warm?!"

"Huh, I didn't realize I was so warm. Then again, you're kinda cold."

Maybe it's from all the distractions that have been going on lately, but now that he brought it up I am feeling a bit chilly. I rubbed my arms for a bit of warmth. When did it get so dark out? I swear the sun wasn't even on the horizon when I carried Nino over here. Maybe I should check my phone… nine o'clock? I shivered a bit as a cool breeze blew by.

"Here," said Wil, stripping off… his… shirt… oooooh, those abs… those toned arms… they look even sexier in the firelight…

"Er, Rebecca?"

"Mm?"

"You're drooling…"

"That's beautiful, Wil…"

"Seriously, like, there's a stream falling onto the sand…"

"Tell me more, I want to… Oh, gross!"

Wiping my face with a nearby towel, I grabbed a cold drink from the cooler to press against my cheeks. I dunno if any of you guys have literally drooled over someone you like, but let me tell you that it is just as embarrassing as it seems! I'm just glad nobody else saw that… Oh, why did I even let that happen?! He had his shirt off all of earlier and I didn't react like that! That or it was because we were in the water for a good portion of the time…

"Heh, when you're done cooling down your face you can borrow this," he said, handing me his shirt.

Honestly, I had expected him to laugh or make some snide remark, but there was something different about him today. He may be nicer to me than he is to other people, but that doesn't mean that I'm immune to Wil's teasing. Maybe it's because he's drunk, but wouldn't that make him more snarky? I dunno, but whatever it is, I'm not complaining!

"Thanks," I said, trying not to smile too widely. I pulled the shirt over my head, but savoured the smell as I slid it on. Mm, he smells so good. Shut up, it's not creepy! Of course I'm gonna notice what he smells like if he gives me his freaking shirt!

"Wait," I said as he looked toward the bonfire, "won't you be cold now?"

"Nah," he replied, tossing a little twig into the flames, "I'm pretty good with temperatures, and besides, didn't you say that I was really warm? This'll help cool me off if anything, and I've got another shirt in my bag if I need it."

"Oh, you could've just given me that one."

"No, that wouldn't do."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't seem as gentlemanly."

"Heehee, because you're _such_ a gentleman, right?"

"I'm glad you agree."

I giggled a bit and sighed before resting my head on his shoulder. I could feel his tilt slightly onto mine, which was really comforting at the moment. He really is a great guy; I don't gush over him for nothing! It's only a matter of time before we become something more… I hope so, at least. The only thing that scares me is the possibility of a relationship with Wil drifting me away from Eddie. Top that with his growing relationship with L'Arachel, and we may not see each other very often. I wish I could simply have Eddie and Wil get along while I learn to like L'Arachel, but let's be honest, that won't ever happen; at least, not anytime soon.

"Rebecca," Wil said, turning his head slightly toward my face. "I… have to go take care of something. Can you wait here for me? I'll be back in a little while."

"Oh, uh, okay, sure," I said, though I didn't immediately take my head off his shoulder.

My stomach went into flutters when I felt him lay a soft kiss on the top of my head before sitting me up straight. I watched him get up and head off for a bit before turning back toward the flames dancing in front of me. From where I was sitting, I could see Sothe staggering about, probably about to pass out. Is Micaiah gonna drive us home then? She's not looking so hot either… Whatever, I could camp out here. I've got enough to think about that maybe sleeping under the stars would be better anyway.

It's weird, but I could feel my own eyes glaze over as I sighed and thought about my relationship with Wil. Normally you don't notice yourself start daydreaming, but somehow I did. Everything he'd been doing lately just made me like him so much more every time I thought about it.

"Gee, you look happy," someone said, taking a seat beside me.

"Wha- Oh, hey, Marisa," I said offhandedly, noting the pink-haired beauty beside me. "What's up? I haven't talked to you all day."

She shrugged, following my gaze toward the bonfire. "Nothing super exciting. You seem to have been having quite the day though. Wil, huh?"

"Yeah," I sighed back, not even bothering to deny it.

"Like a girl in love," she chuckled, though I didn't really care that she was teasing me. "Personally, I always thought you and Eddie might make a cute couple, but I guess Wil's not bad either."

That made me snap out of my trance instantly. The idea of Eddie and I together in… in _that_ way was just totally… weird! We've known each other since we were four, but it's always been in a friendly way! That would be like dating my brother if my actual brother weren't a total jerk! I mean I can't say that it's never crossed my mind… but it was always just one of those random thoughts of 'what if' and 'wouldn't it be weird if'.

"Eddie?! That… that just seems too weird!" I said, trying not to come off too flustered.

"Oh, relax, Rebecca, I'm just thinking out loud," she chuckled again. "I just figured it could be a possibility since you guys are so close."

Gonna play it that way, Marisa? Then get ready to be countered! "Speaking of dating close friends," I giggled mischievously; she definitely had to have expected this, "how are you and Gerik coming along?"

"Please don't start this-"

"Oh, no you don't! You guys have been 'just close friends' for too long! Don't you think it's time to finally get on that? I mean geez, Marisa; it's your last year of high school, don't you want it to be memorable?!"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"But what?! I don't think you have a real reason why the two of you aren't dating already! Actually, you two should've started dating at least two years ago!"

"You just… it's complicated…"

"I think I know enough about guy problems. Remember my fling with Daniel… or was it Jorge? Ugh, I never want to think of those memories, but they're stuck in my head. Either way, I was kinda seeing one of them, but they were always fighting for me. They were both pretty whiny, and they couldn't do anything themselves! They were always working too, so I didn't see them much. Anyway, if anyone knows about boy complications it's me! At least you didn't have twins fighting over you!"

"Heehee, you have a point."

"Good! Now will you let me hear about this?"

"I, uh, I guess so…" she hesitated before taking a deep breath and starting. "Well, you know that we've been into each other for a long time, right?"

"Duh."

"I know it seems obvious, but sometimes I don't think he realizes how much I really like him. Guys can be so oblivious sometimes. Anyway, the thing is that he either doesn't know that I like him, or he just isn't willing to ask me out…"

"That's crazy talk! You're a total babe, Marisa, and Gerik is definitely into you!"

"You say that like you're certain: everyone says it like they're certain!"

"Because it's so clear! I don't think I've ever seen two people want each other more than the two of you!"

"Then how come he hasn't done anything?"

"Because he… well, you… that is..." She gave me an uneasy smile before turning back to the fire. I finally understood what she was going through. I can't believe no one realized it before, but now it seemed so obvious. If this was what she was trying to get the message through to me, then congrats to Marisa!

"You see?" she said when I was at a loss for words. "You guys are always saying how we should start dating and stuff, but it isn't on me! He has too much pride to let a girl ask him out, so the only thing I can do is show my affection for him. Everyone says it's so obvious that he likes me too, but unless something happens I can't believe it! I've liked him for six years, Rebecca! Since freaking grade six! It's almost sick how long that is, but I can't just stop liking him! He's… he's too important to me…"

I had to hug her at that point. If I'd known that she was going through all of this inner turmoil, I never would've pestered her about this. I know they say hindsight is 20/20, but how could I not have seen it before? I mean, sure, I've bugged Gerik about all of this too, but it never occurred to me that maybe it was more on him than it was on her. Yeah, we live in the twenty-first century, but typically guys are still too stubborn to let a girl ask them out. I can't say I disagree; chivalry is not dead! Well, not unless the guy doesn't do anything for six years…

"I'm sorry, Marisa," was all I could say as I fanned my face. Wow, I didn't think I'd be getting so emotional over this. I guess I'm still kinda drunk…

"S'okay, you didn't know," she said sadly. "Besides, I don't know if it'll work out anymore."

"Whaddya mean? After hearing all that, I have to make sure he asks you out! What could possibly stop it from happening?!"

"That," she said darkly, gesturing over to our right. I followed her gaze and understood immediately.

Tethys.

The redheaded dancer was currently laughing as she latched onto Gerik's arm. He seemed rather indifferent to her actions, simply chuckling away over something one of them must have said. The muscular moss-head happened to glance over at us and waved innocently. Marisa put on a fake smile and waved back, reverting to her glare as he looked away. Tethys simply smirked at us and gave a little finger wave. Yikes, did I say the Dancers were nice back in the second chapter? I shouldn't generalize them because of Tethys, but hey, Feena and Lalum are pretty drama-prone. Let's go with this: The Dancers are _nicer_ than many of the populars, but they can be just as catty as the other popular girls.

"Why did she have to step into the picture?" Marisa grumbled, swiping the cold can I had used to cool my face and clicking it open so she could drink it.

"Dunno," I shrugged. "Oh, Amelia!" I shouted as I saw the blonde girl about to pass us by.

"Hey, guys! What's up?"

"Could you bring Ewan here? It's kinda important."

She smirked a bit and nodded as she headed off. She probably knew what we needed him for and wanted to help interrogate. It would seem obvious enough what we wanted, seeing as I was with Marisa and Tethys is Ewan's sister. Well, if there's one thing I can say about Amelia, especially considering she's still looking pretty tipsy, it would be a quote from Jurassic Park: clever girl.

She and Ross stumbled back a minute later, dragging a drunken Ewan by the arms. Yeesh, this could either make things a lot easier or a lot more difficult. Hope you've got a loose tongue, Ewan. That's what she said! What? Girls can make that joke too, you know!

"Hey, ladies," he slurred, giving us a goofy smile, "you wanted to see me? I'm not surprised."

"Sorry, he's been hanging out with Saul and Gatrie for the past little while," said Ross, slumping down with Amelia.

"Okay, cut the crap, Ewan," I said as intimidatingly as I could. Either it wasn't very convincing or he was too drunk to notice because it didn't seem to have an effect. "We need to ask you some things."

"I'm all yours, girly."

I nodded to Marisa so that she knew to ask the questions. She hesitated for a moment, but as she took another glance at Gerik and Tethys, her resolve was rekindled.

"When did Tethys first start asking you about Gerik?"

"Ummmm, I think t'was about… sometime in August? Yeah, that sounds 'bout right."

"Okay, was there any reason she started asking or was it just random?"

"I 'unno, random I guess. You heard Gerik; he'd never even talked to her more'n a few sen'nces."

"So why'd she suddenly get so interested in him instead of someone more typical, like Ike?"

"Because Gerik's actually hotter!"

"Ewan!"

"Pfft, the hell if I know why she went for him! Look, she asked, I told her some stuff. I don't actually fight with her often or anything, so I didn't pry into why she wanted to know 'bout him."

At this rate, we weren't going to get anywhere. Unfortunately, Ewan didn't know enough, and he was our closest intel without actually asking Tethys herself. It probably wasn't worth asking him any more questions because I doubt he'd know the answer. Sorry, Marisa, but it looks like you might just have to fight for Gerik the old-fashioned way. No, not a catfight! She has to fight for his attention and win him away from Tethys!

"'Kay, thanks for you help then, Ewan," she said after realizing the same things I just had, "you can go back to… whatever."

"I'ma just lay down next to Leo and Nino…" he said groggily as he passed out next to them. Heehee, I guess this is the designated sleeping area.

"Rebecca," she said quietly, beginning to stand, "um, thanks for listening to me… I feel a lot better about all of this. I think I know what I have to do now."

"Oh, uh, no problem," I said, not quite sure how else to respond. "I'll be sure to have a talk with Gerik."

She gave me a light smile before heading off towards him and her new nemesis. Heh, I have to admire her determination if she's willing to start fighting already! Gerik better be in for a hell of a ride! If all goes well then Marisa should too… okay, I may have taken that one a little too far. Maybe this _should_ be rated M…

"Oh good, looks like I got back just in time," I heard Wil's voice from behind me. I turned to see him strolling up to me, though he was still staggering a bit. "I saw you and someone else talking, so I thought I may have to give you a minute, but she left right as I was getting near."

"Maybe she left because you smell!" Yeah, smell good…

"Ouch, that was uncalled for," he smirked, feigning heartbreak.

"Aww, want me to make it up to you?"

"Actually, I did want you to come somewhere with me; that is, if you aren't busy."

Ross and Amelia snickered from a short distance away from me. They were scribbling on Ewan's face, but could easily hear Wil and I conversing. I could see how they could think something of it, and I quickly grabbed another can to cool down my face. Wil simply chuckled a bit and held out his hand. Was I… was I meant to hold it? Oh gods, that thought alone is gonna make this beer go warm!

"Rebecca? What's the matter?" he said, noticing how I was rooted to the spot with a can being rubbed all against my face.

"Oh, uh, just taking a second to cool down," I lied.

"Haha, I get it. Don't worry, I won't do anything weird, I just wanna show you something. _Come with me and you'll see, there's a world of pure imagination-_"

"Heehee, if you stop singing Willy Wonka songs, then I'll come with you."

"Fair enough, I'll sing something else. _Here we go, come with me, there's a world out there that we should see. Take my hand, close your eyes-"_

"Ugh, enough! Let's go!" I said, quickly shutting him up and dragging him away by his hand while Ross and Amelia pissed themselves laughing. I'm not sure if Wil should be embarrassed or me!

"Aww, you don't like my singing?" he chuckled as he stumbled behind.

"The Willy Wonka bit was funny, but I don't wanna hear you sing any Far East Movement, especially not one of their old overplayed songs!"

"Heh, well, how about you let me lead the way now that we're out of there? You don't know where we're going anyway."

"Oh… um, right. Lead on." Maybe this drink would come in handy if he starts singing again.

We walked for a while without saying anything. He seemed determined on finding wherever it was he was leading us, and I couldn't think of anything to talk to him about. What? I did spend most of my day with him in case you forgot! Eventually I could see a picnic blanket sitting on what appeared to be a lie-down, sand couch. I had to giggle a bit at the sight. Did he really come all the way out here to do this for me? And he even snuck a cooler all the way over!

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the spot on the ground.

"Heehee, did you really set all of this up for me?"

"Heh, you make it seem like I did a lot more than I actually did. All I did was make a lump in the sand to prop our heads up while we stargaze."

"Then how'd you manage to get the cooler out here?"

"You seem to be waiting for some amazing Mission Impossible story of how I stole the cooler without anyone noticing, but to be honest I just picked it up and walked away…"

"…You're lame!" I laughed as he sat down next to me. "You could've at least made up a story on the spot!"

"Ha! You say that as if I'm good at it."

"True… Okay, well, we've got some stars to gaze at, right?"

"We do, indeed."

I snuggled up close to him as we lay down on the blanket. The sand beneath us was soft, molding to the contours of our bodies. My insides filled with warm fuzzies as he placed his arm around me. Gosh, he's still so warm, even with his shirt off! …Right, I'm supposed to be concentrating on the stars. If only it were that simple…

"Ooh, did you see that?!" he exclaimed, pointing upwards. I'm not sure if he was gesturing to something specific or just the entire sky in general…

"Um, the plane?" I asked, noticing the blinking green and red dots go by.

"No, no. Damn, you missed the shooting star!"

"What?! But we've only been stargazing for, like, a minute!"

"Heh, they aren't on a timer you know."

I nudged him lightly, but giggled a little bit anyway. I suppose if I'd been concentrating on the stars instead of him, I would've noticed it. Just my luck that I would miss one of the more magical things out here.

"So, what'd you wish for?" I asked after a moment.

"Hmm?" he responded, still searching the skies for more.

"You know… You're supposed to wish on shooting stars, Wil!"

"Oh, right… Hmm… okay, got it!"

After a pause, I realized that he wasn't going to say any more. "…Weeeeeell?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna tell me?" I asked turning to face him while poking him in the chest.

"But then it won't come true!" he laughed, turning his head to face me.

"No, no, no, shooting star wishes don't work that way!" Ugh, doesn't he know the code for wish-telling?! "You can say it on shooting stars and wishing wells! You can't tell when you throw a coin in a fountain, blow out your birthday candles, or when you see 11:11 on the clock! I'm not really sure how it works for wishing gum…"

"Er, wishing gum?"

"You know; if you save the piece of gum that's in the little ridge-slot in a pack of gum for last, you get to make a wish on it."

"Heh, I'm pretty sure that's just a regular piece of gum and that little slot is so you can grab the pack with your fingers…"

"Hey, don't diss the wish!" I laughed and poked him again. "Wishing is an art form, you simpleton!"

"Whatever you say, Rebecca," he chuckled and pulled me closer. I had to consciously stop myself from moving even closer to him when he stopped pulling me in.

"Th-that's _artiste_ Rebecca to you," I giggled defiantly, though our close proximity was making my resolve waver.

I started to get lost in his eyes. Admittedly, they aren't the mesmerizing, beautiful, cliché blue or green colour that romance stories always seem to make eyes, but it wouldn't have really mattered right now since I can't see what colour they are. It was more about the soft way he looked at me that was making my heart melt. I could see everything about him just by staring back into those dark irises. Can he see the same things in my eyes? I blushed at the idea. It was like reading into each other's mind, heart, and soul… All the stars in the sky couldn't amount to the stars in his eyes, and I could feel our hearts connect and beat as one. I could actually feel him smiling back at me, not with his mouth, but with his eyes.

…Okay, can someone give me an A+ for cheesy internal monologue, because that was stellar!

"Rebecca," he said so softly that I probably wouldn't have realized he'd said anything if I didn't see his lips move.

"Wil," I responded just as dreamily.

"I, um… This is kind of difficult to say…"

Omigosh, is he going to ask me out?! Eeeeeeee, I've been waiting for this for so long! Don't lose it yet, Rebecca, he hasn't done anything! You can freak out after he asks. Oh gods, it's really happening!

"You and I… we've been getting very close lately," he started, obviously trying to choose his words carefully. Hell, he could've just said something like 'Yo, babe, you and me's a couple now, aight?' and I would've been just as thrilled. Well, maybe not that exact statement, but you get the idea!

"Heh, it's funny because I know that you know I like you, but despite the many signs you were giving me, I could never really be sure how you felt about me. Until today, I didn't really think it was anything more than a one-sided crush! I… I'm not making the wrong assumption in thinking that you like me, am I?"

Do all boys have this problem? First there's Gerik with Marisa and now there's Wil with me. Honestly, men are such simple creatures! Do they seriously need everything to be told to them directly?

"Heehee, no, I'm pretty crazy for you, Wil," I said playfully, though that's probably an accurate way of saying how I feel about him.

"Phew," he breathed out, "I didn't want to be making a complete idiot of myself if you, for some reason, didn't. I was, like, ninety-nine percent sure you did, especially after everything today, but I didn't want to jump to any false conclusions before I do this."

"Anyway, like I was saying, we've been getting pretty close lately, and I just thought that maybe… well, if you want, maybe we could go beyond just being friends?"

I can't even describe what was going on inside of me, but if I had to try I'd say I was probably having a full on block-party with fireworks, a parade, and a tornado of butterflies just having a blast! I was almost quivering with how much happiness was going all throughout my body! Oh, wow, I think I might vomit in excitement… Don't, Rebecca, you'll ruin the moment and he's still waiting for an answer. Puking would probably be the worst response to his question.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask me that," I responded, each word laced with mirth from my internal celebration.

"Heh, can… can I take that as a yes then?"

"Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes a thousand times over! Yes!" I cried, unable to control my excitement anymore.

He laughed in joy and relief as I hugged him tightly and rolled on top of him. Screw PDA, I'm finally moving forward with Wil! We must have kissed for a long time, all of our pent-up emotions finally coming out. He's a little better at hiding his internal feelings, but when it comes to kissing he let it all out. In all honesty, it was a little weird to feel his tongue playing with mine, but I loved the feeling regardless. I'd been waiting for this for so long, but I never thought our first kiss would be so… so… exactly as I'd imagined! Good thing I don't have to puke anymore or that could make this super unfortunate…

When we finally pulled apart, we both fell into some light, mirthful giggles. Neither of us had to say anything, because words couldn't say anything compared to that kiss. For the next little while I just lay on his chest, drawing circles with my finger as he ran his fingers through my hair. Maybe I'll stop wearing braids so much because this feels so amazing. I gave his chest a couple light kisses. Whether this is real love or simply teen love, I can't say, but I'm going to savour every moment I have with this boy.

"You're needed back at the fire…" someone said, interrupting our moment. We both looked up a little peeved to see Navarre standing a couple metres away from us.

"Why'd they send you?" Wil shot back, annoyance clearly in his voice. I can't say I wouldn't have responded in the same manner.

"Because no one else felt comfortable enough ruining your moment. Since I'm neither friend nor acquaintance with either of you, I could care less about being sent to end this," he said, gesturing to our little setup as he said 'this'.

"Fine we'll go. Who needs us back?" I responded.

"Edward told Feena to tell me that he needs to tell you, not him," he gestured to Wil, "something or other."

Eddie had left to find L'Arachel some time ago, so I figured I probably wouldn't see him until everyone was leaving. Then again, it didn't look like either of us had a way back home so I thought we'd both be camping out tonight. I wonder what he wants to talk to me about. Giving my boyfriend (eep, I still can't get over how wonderful that sounds!) a quick kiss on the lips, I got up and followed Navarre. I turned back to see Wil folding up the blanket so he could head back as well.

When we got back, I saw Eddie chatting with Leo on the ground. Ike was nearby too, so I guess it had something to do with them staying overnight. Oddly enough, L'Arachel wasn't with him. Whatever, maybe I thought wrong when I assumed Eddie would be with her for the rest of the night.

"Oh, Rebecca!" he said, though I noticed him start blushing a bit. "Hehe, sorry to interrupt your, ah, moment…"

I shrugged. I'd let something like this slide for Eddie. "Don't worry about it. We were probably over there longer than I think we were."

"I'll say; it's ten thirty!" Wow, were we really there for an hour and a half?! Geez, time flies when you're making out…

"M'kay, well what did you need me for?" I asked. I didn't want to ask why it couldn't have waited until later; but I knew that Ike was too drunk to take them home, so that meant they'd be camping out here, right?

"Oh, uh, well, I figured I should let you know since you usually worry about me and that kinda stuff," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Sheesh, he makes me sound like an overprotective mom all the time! "I'm gonna head out now. L'Arachel's getting tired, so I wanted to say bye to everyone before leaving."

"Huh? What does L'Arachel getting tired have to do with you leaving?" I asked, genuinely confused. And getting tired at ten thirty? Please, we're young, we don't get tired until three a.m., right guys?!

Leo, Ike, and Nino snickered, seemingly knowing what was up. Eddie chuckled offhandedly, still scratching the back of his head in that awkward sort of way. I crossed my arms while I waited for someone to fill me in.

"Well," he started, noting my stance, "she offered to let me stay at her place… It's only a ten minute walk from here, so I figured that it wasn't a ridiculous offer…"

I kept my jaw from dropping open, but I must've inhaled pretty intensely for the other three to burst out laughing like that. Eddie had a dumb grin on his face but he wouldn't meet my eyes. He was gonna stay over at her house?! And no one else was going with them?! That slutty bimbo! I should- urgh, no I can't get all pissed off with him about this. Still, I wish he'd reconsider. He's definitely thinking with the wrong head right now…

"That's… pretty forward of her," I said through gritted teeth. Okay, fine, I admit that I'm kind of protective of Eddie, but only because he leaves himself open to things like these! "You gonna be okay walking her home? What about in the morning?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. I'm not stumbling too much, so other than a few bumps and scrapes we should be all good getting back. I won't have to worry about getting home in the morning because she said I could stay for the week… oh shi-"

"WHAT?!"

Well, at least he realized his mistake and braced himself for my smacks. Staying for one night is whatever, but a whole week?! Did he forget that we have school? What are his parents gonna think? What's her uncle gonna think?! I know my parents wouldn't let me have a boy stay over for a week, let alone a night! Gods, what is he thinking?!

"Eddie, you're gonna end up slacking off if you stay with her all week! How are you gonna tell your parents that you're staying with some girl they've never met for an entire week? Isn't her family gonna be home?!"

"Calm down, Bec," he said, grasping my shoulders and taking deep breaths; I don't know if he's trying to get me to copy him, but I most certainly will not right now! "Look, it's the second week of school, so I hardly think I'll need to pay too much attention yet. She only lives with her uncle, and he's away for the week, which is why she wants me to stay there… No, before you comment about that, it's because she'll get lonely, not other things! As for my parents, when I go get my clothes and stuff, I'll tell them that I'm staying at Leo's while _his_ parents are away. He said he'd cover for me, so I'm pretty much set."

I tossed a glare in Leo's direction, but he was too busy flirting with Nino to notice. I couldn't ask Ike for support because he'd gone off with some other people. Ugh, they really do leave everything for me to deal with!

"Bec, I knew you'd be mad at me, but I figured it be better to tell you than let you somehow find out on your own. Gods know what would happen if you found out and I hadn't told you myself."

I sighed and stopped looking at him so angrily. I suppose he _did_ do the right thing by letting me know. When it comes down to it, he really does care about me as much as I do about him; otherwise he wouldn't have even come to me about this at all. I guess that's somewhat relieving, but hardly.

"Just…" I paused, trying to think of the right thing to say, "don't do anything you'll regret, okay?"

He pulled me in for a hug and chuckled. "You worry even more than my mom does, you know that? But I promise you that I won't." He held me at arms length before a devilish smirk came over his face. "Besides, I would never regret having sex with someone like her!"

I gasped and went to hit him, but the bastard ran away laughing before I could get him. "You spoony bard!" I yelled after him, but was received with only a wave. I had to chuckle a bit myself. Leave it to Eddie to make his exit on a note like that. I really do hope he's careful though.

As much as I want him to be happy, and believe me, I do, I wish that he would find a better girl than L'Arachel. I'm sure he's said similar things about Wil, but this is different. I've known Wil for almost as long as I've known Eddie, so I know that Wil is really a sweet person at heart. Eddie's only known L'Arachel personally for about a year, but they're already rushing into things like private sleepovers and… Gah! It just makes me worry about him. I would hate to see him end up hurt; especially over someone like her who isn't worth the pain! I guess I'll just text him in the morning or something; not that I want to hear if anything gross went down…

Everyone started crashing around one o'clock. It's funny, but everyone except for the people from Magvel and a few others who were staying with them had decided to camp out on the beach. A bunch of people even brought tents! I was warm enough lying out on the sand with Wil's arms around me. It still amazes me that he's warm enough without a shirt!

"You still drunk?" he asked, yawning widely.

"Not so much anymore," I said, catching his contagious yawn.

"That's good. I'll drive you home tomorrow. You only had one water bottle so you're gonna have a killer hangover."

I giggled and told him I'd be fine. Oh, if only I'd taken his words as a sign to go drink some water because killer hangover was just the kiddie version of how I was actually feeling the next day. Smooth move on my part…

* * *

Hopefully this'll give Rebecca some love because I definitely enjoyed writing this chapter! I wasn't in a rush and I didn't force myself to think of ideas, everything just kinda flowed out naturally :). The whole fluffy scene between Rebecca and Wil? What can I say; I have to stick to my romantic roots somehow! What better way to be fluffy than through Rebecca's POV? Eddie had a somewhat fluffy moment with L'Arachel, but I don't think it compared to this one!

So I think I've decided that Rebecca's narration is gonna be portrayed mostly like it was in this chapter. She won't break the fourth wall nearly as much as Eddie, but I don't want them to come off with the same personality so I think that's reasonable. From the writer's perspective, this is my second favourite chapter, the first being _It's a Little Sandy: Part I._

My opinion surely isn't as important as you readers' are though; so don't forget to let me know in your reviews! Also, remember to visit my page and vote on the poll for whether this should be rated M or not! I still think it's fine, but it's at the readers' discretion! And then don't forget to check out my soundcloud while you're at it since the link is on my profile ;)

Thanks for reading!

_-GengaJupite_


	8. A Nightful Event… Eventful Night

Finals…

Just let that word soak in and ruin the rest of your day… or at least laugh at my pain. Ugh, yeah, I have two finals coming up on the 19th and 23rd. I'm still gonna try to have my next chapter up on schedule, but I sincerely apologize if it isn't.

I'm gonna wait until I have ten votes before changing the rating (assuming that yes far outweighs no). If you don't care, then that's probably a clear indication that you're fine with it as T, so vote no on the poll! Please consider how you think others may react; two points have been brought up with me recently: yes, because anyone of any age can wind up reading this; no, because innuendo is found throughout many T-rated things (be it TV, games, or fiction) so this is no different. Only four people have voted so far, so I'm still waiting for at least six more!

Thanks for reviewing!

**Cormag Ravenstaff:** That chapter was one of my favourites to write, so I'm glad you responded likewise! There won't be too much focus on Leo and Nino in the near future, but I do have plans for them later on.

**BritRecon: **I was getting a little nervous there when I only had the one review. Fluffiness and emotions are my forte, and it's good that that managed to carry over into this story as well! The best thing about making characters likeable is that it makes later conflicts more dramatic, so I'm glad that the main four have settled in with you! As for Eddie and L'Arachel's special evening, well, I can't say if it'll happen tonight (or at all), but I do have plans for this 'sleepover' ;)

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_A Nightful Event… Eventful Night  
__(Edward)_

I sighed as the soft sand beneath my feet was quickly transformed into the hard surface of pavement. I suppose all good things must come to an end, and no words could better describe me leaving the beach. I guess if I'm lucky it might be hot enough for the next few weekends to come back, but I know that Autumn is quickly gonna come around be all 'oh, you like sunshine? Here's some rain'. And there's still school. Ew.

"Eddie?" I heard L'Arachel say from beside me.

"Hmm?"

"You look… sad."

"Oh, I, uh, just zoned out is all," I said, quickly replacing my downcast expression with a stupidly large grin.

"Heehee, okay then."

Well, leaving the beach isn't all bad I suppose. I'd be keeping my crush/almost-girlfriend company while her uncle is away, and, even better, I get to hold her hand! Okay, maybe we're only holding hands right now because we're drunk and staggering, but it's still better than nothing, right? Despite how I was feeling earlier, not to mention what I said to Rebecca, I think I'd be a little too terrified to… try anything with L'Arachel tonight. Maybe it's just because my mood is dampening as the alcohol wears off, but perhaps some part of me is actually still scared… Okay, you guys tell anyone I said that and I'll let Henry go crazy on you!

_Thunk!_

"Ow, what the hell?!" What the crap did I just hit? Ugh, my face…

"Smooth, Eddie; maybe you should look out for street lamps," L'Arachel giggled as I let go of her hand to rub my forehead. However, without the added stability, I quickly stumbled and fell back onto a soft patch of conveniently placed grass. Why it's in the middle of the parking lot, I will never know, but I ain't complaining!

"Hehe, I thought alcohol was supposed to dampen pain…" I joked, though the throbbing of my face was killing me.

"Aww, poor baby," she jeered. "Want me to kiss it better?"

"Yes."

"Heehee, straight to the point I see," she giggled, leaning down to plant a kiss on my forehead. Good thing the pole already reddened my face or my flushed cheeks may have been more obvious.

"By the way," I chuckled as she stood back up, "my lips are hurting a bit too."

She gave me a smirk and placed her hands on her hips. Dammit, I was hoping that might work. Look, I don't have many good one-liners or smooth moves, so I've just gotta work with the few I know! Hold that thought for a second…

"What'd you do, kiss the pole? I don't wanna touch your lips if you have nasty pole germs all over you!" she laughed, stumbling a bit.

Nice, there's my opening! I may not have all the best lines, but I'm decent at turning the tables on people! "Meh, that's okay, you're only a half-decent kisser anyway."

"You jerkface!" she gasped, tackling me back down as I started to sit back up. "Take that back!" she giggled in between multiple pecks on my lips. Man, if this is what she does when we're not dating, I can't even imagine what'll happen once we start! Actually, I have a pretty good idea…

"I'll never surrender!" I laughed, pretending to push her off, though it was mostly so I could keep my hands on her.

"Guys," someone called, earning angry glares from both of us.

"What?" I called back, annoyed.

It was Gerik, grabbing a tent from his truck. "Maybe you ought to get out of the parking lot if you're gonna… you know," he chuckled. "You could always borrow my tent if-"

"Save it, you'll need it for your threesome," L'Arachel retorted before he could finish. He gave us a dumbfounded expression before grumbling and heading back to the bonfire.

"Heh, nice one," I chuckled.

"I try," she said, giving me another smooch on the lips before standing back up and helping me to my feet. I wonder if it's just because she's drunk or if she's actually giving me all these kisses on purpose. Still, no complaints from this dude! You wish your life could be this great!

"So," I said casually as we stumbled out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk, "you don't seem very tired."

"Um, am I supposed to be?" she asked, genuinely unsure.

"Heh, isn't that why you wanted to get out of there? I did think it was weird since it was only ten thirty…"

"Oh, right! Yeah, that was just an excuse so that we could get out of here quicker," she chuckled without a hint of sheepishness at all. "I've been waiting for some actual alone time with you since we kissed."

Ugh, that seductive tone will never stop getting to me. She probably won't even let me get any sleep tonight! Oh gods, I'm dating (well, almost dating) a freaking succubus! Though I don't really mind that thought… Gah, my emotions are just all over the place today.

"Hehe, um," I stuttered, trying to form a proper sentence, "that sunset kiss was only, like, a couple hours ago…"

"I know," she purred, nuzzling up to me, "but since then I've just been feeling really, _really_ hor-"

"WOW, okay, I think that's enough talk about that!"

Seriously?! Okay, I know that kissing and alcohol usually mix together to make a person feel… _aroused_, but now she's actually making me a little nervous. I mean this is L'Arachel, the girl who always jokes about this kinda stuff. I can usually just brush it off like it's nothing but for whatever reason she seemed a little more serious this time. Maybe it had something to do with that second 'really'. Y'know, the way she emphasized, elongated, and italicized it were just enough to make me feel like maybe she was serious about… Oh gods, I'm not ready!

By the way, I'm just gonna apologize to all you guys now. I know I'm a teenage guy and all, so it was bound to happen, but I feel like the only topics that come up when I'm talking have some kind of sexual connotation. I'm gonna have to talk to whoever's writing this… I mean whichever god is making this happen, about toning down the sexual tension…

"Hehe," I chuckled nervously, "y'know, _I'm_ actually feeling a little tired now. Maybe I'll just take a shower and go to bed…"

"Aw, that's no fun," she pouted before that oh-so-familiar smirk lifted her expression. "I guess we'll just have to shower together before bed then."

…*Sigh* I guess there's no use in trying to dissuade her from having her way with me. This girl will seriously go to any lengths just to tease and torment me! I still have no clue if she's being serious about any of this. Hell, I'll pray to freaking Grima if it'll get her to stop! Well, stop to a certain extent; I don't mind a bit of playful teasing. Ugh, listen to me…

"You're pure torture, you know that?" I said out of impulse, though I'm sure she wouldn't be mad.

"Heehee, I'm just trying to be the naughty to your nice, Eddie," she giggled back, quickening her pace with me in tow. "C'mon, we're almost there! And the sooner we get there, the sooner we can… y'know."

Well, I suppose I should say goodbye to my V-card tonight. No, the V doesn't stand for Valentines…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"Holy gods above," I muttered as she opened the gate to her house.

Sure, I've passed through the rich sections of each city, but I don't think I've ever actually stopped to really look at any of the houses! Actually, I can't even say houses since they're all big-ass mansions. Even though we still have to walk for a bit to get to the actual mansion itself, this whole area just makes me feel small and insignificant. It's like the entire neighbourhood is mocking my middle-class social status…

The large, gold, mechanical gate, emblazoned with a big fancy letter R on each side (I'm assuming for Rausten), silently swung open. Honestly, I'm surprised that there wasn't a bright white light and the sound of an angelic choir accompanying our entry. And to think that just a few feet away is an even bigger gate that leads to the driveway…

"Heehee, it's just a gate, Eddie," L'Arachel teased, snapping me out of my trance. "I dunno how you're gonna react when you see the actual house if you can't even handle this."

"Hehe, uh, I guess we'll just have to find out," I chuckled, following her through the gateway and onto the path.

Geez, maybe she should've told me that this was gonna be a twenty minute walk! I mean it took us ten minutes to get to her gate, which was fair enough, but it wasn't until we were on the other side of the gate that I noticed just how long the driveway is. My gods, I wasn't expecting to be walking this much! I'm not out of shape; just not exactly in the right state of mind to be trekking for extensive amounts of time! She's rich, shouldn't she have, like, oh I dunno, a moving walkway to the front door?

"Yeesh, how long is this path?" I asked after what felt like hours of walking (my phone must be wrong because apparently we've only been on this path for about one minute…).

"Aww, you tired?" she laughed, still leading me onwards. "Well, it leads through the gardens and then we're pretty much at the front door."

Heh, the fact that she can use garden in the plural form should be a good indicator of how large this courtyard is. Hell, the fact that I can say she has a courtyard should be a good indicator of how large her home is!

The walkway veered off to the right a bit, leading us between two pillars with topiary angels on top. L'Arachel slowed her pace a bit so that we could take our time looking at everything. Though all the flowers in the numerous flowerbeds and on the bushes were closed, the scenery was still quite nice. I'm not much of a botanical gardens fan, but I can appreciate the effort that goes into taking care of all these plants. I guess I should be giving praise to her gardeners and not so much her… The path winded between different greenery until we came to a round section with a fountain in the centre. Some white orchids lined the outside of the circle, and surprisingly they were all open as if taking in the moonlight.

"I don't usually walk through here at night," said L'Arachel, sighing as she examined an orchid. "I always thought it was funny that these flowers open up at night instead of day."

Huh, I never took L'Arachel for a romantic sort of girl. I mean I assumed that she would have some notion of romance in her personality since she's, y'know, a girl, but she doesn't exactly give off that sort of aura. I'm no expert on romance (what teenage guy is?) but I'm pretty sure that girls don't sigh like that and examine moonlit flowers by a fountain unless they're in a lovey mood. Hey, if it distracts her from being dominatrix L'Arachel though, then I'll take goo-goo-eyed L'Arachel any day!

"Heh, yeah, they're, uh… they're pretty," I said awkwardly. What? I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to say right now!

"Mm," she said, though it seemed as though she didn't really pay attention to what I had said. "I used to like playing here as a kid. Tana, Eirika, Ephraim, and I would always run through each other's gardens. Oh, and I guess that Lyon kid was with us too."

I paused, trying to think of something useful in response. "Huh, I always figured you guys would be doing, like, rich kid stuff when you were younger, but that sounds sorta like what I used to do."

"We've all had different upbringings, Eddie. It's funny, I might've grown up the same way as you if my parents…"

I cringed a bit as she trailed off her sentence. Maybe I'd been too insensitive in assuming that the Elites never had to grow up with any hardship. Now that I look at it though, it seems as though most of them had lost one or both parents, or never had the chance to meet them. I never thought to ask L'Arachel about her parents because I always figured it was a sensitive topic. It's odd to think that she's only an Elite because her rich uncle became her guardian… Man, that sure makes me feel like crap…

"Um, I-I'm sorry, L'Arachel. I probably shouldn't have-"

"It's fine, Eddie," she said, shaking her head and readopting her cheery demeanour. "It was a long time ago, and Uncle Mansel raised me like his own daughter! I turned out fine, don't you think?"

Her quick change of heart made me smile and I let out a breathy chuckle. "Well, you do have a tendency to take things a little far…"

"Oh, you mean like this?" she said seductively, closing the distance between our bodies. Luckily I'd grown used to her getting this close to me, but that feeling of comfort soon left as I felt her hand sneak its way under my shirt.

"Hehe, y-yeah, like that," I chuckled nervously, hopping back a bit to stop her. She simply giggled and grabbed my hand again, pulling me along the path out of the gardens.

It didn't take too much longer (thank the gods) for us to actually reach the entrance to her house. Once we got to the doorway, however, I had to stop and stare at the doors, much the same way I had at the gate. Now, I'm no door material connoisseur or anything, but I could tell just by looking that it was made from some kind of quality tree; my guess would be Mila tree wood, but that's only because it's, like, the fanciest tree I know… Anyway, the doors were just as lavish as you would expect a mansion's doors to be, and they stretched up high enough that I had to crane my neck just to see where they stopped! Not one of my better ideas since I ended up drunkenly stumbling back, and there was no convenient patch of grass to catch me this time…

"You klutz!" L'Arachel sighed as she helped me up for what had to be the millionth time today.

"Thanks," I chuckled once I was back on my feet. "Uh, don't you have a butler or something for that?" I asked as she stuck a key in the lock.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, but you can't expect him to be working all night! He probably went home a while ago," she said plainly, as if having a butler is a normal thing to talk about. I dunno about you, but I didn't actually expect her to say she had a butler… Most people in modern societies don't.

I stifled a laugh as she heaved against the heavy door. Maybe a butler would be a good job: you could have some pretty ripped arms if you had to open giant-sized doors all day. Heh, imagine Dart's face if I got more ripped than him from opening doors…

My musings were put to a halt once I crossed the threshold into her home though. Holy crap, despite the many times I've said mansion, THIS THING IS A FREAKING MANSION! Oh, don't believe me? Let's pull out the checklist: super expensive chandelier? Check. Ornate marble floors? Check. Wide staircase that splits off in opposite directions down the centre of the grand hall? Check. Fancy, valuable vases placed precariously on short pillars that have no business being there other than for commoners like me to potentially bump into and break? Checkamundo! So when I say mansion, I _am_ talking about that stereotypical mansion you imagine when you think mansion.

"Ugh, finally, I can get out of these constricting clothes!" she breathed in relief as she kicked off her flip-flops and suddenly began stripping her top off. Calm down, Eddie, you know she has a bikini underneath, just be cool about this.

"Hehe, er, L'Arachel? Do… d-do you always throw your clothes off when you get home?" I asked as calmly as someone in my situation could.

"Hmm… nope!" she giggled, tossing her top into my face. Okay, ignoring the fact that it smells amazing, like her, that simple action seemed to have a little more riding on it than it may have seemed on the outside.

"U-Uh… what does th-that mean exactly?" I asked, squeezing my eyes shut while attempting to get her top off of my face. Don't ask me how it got so tangled just from a simple toss.

"Heehee, make yourself comfortable, Eddie; I'll be back in a few minutes," she giggled seductively.

I felt her put something into my hands before the sound of her footsteps echoing up the stairway reverberated around the foyer. Huh, what is this? It's kinda… stretchy. Aha, finally got this girly shirt thing (girl's always have special names for their clothes and I don't wanna take a gander at what this might be called) off of my head! …What the hell?! Maybe it would've been better if I hadn't taken her top off… That sounds dirtier than it really is in this context.

I squeaked a little when I noticed that I was holding her bikini top in my hands. Sheesh, does this girl have no shame at all?! What would have happened if her top didn't have me in tangles?! It's not like I've never seen boobs before… but it was only in movies… and they weren't the girl that I happen to have a huge crush on… I mean I suppose if she's gone all the way, then maybe she doesn't care if guys see her like that anymore… Okay, you know what, I'm just gonna not think about the things Vaike said on the first day of school and pretend that he was trying to sound cool for Rennac… Oy, I need to sit down.

Slipping off my flip-flops next to where L'Arachel's had landed, I cautiously wandered into the open hall. Glancing around, I tried to find a spot where I could just plop down on a couch or something comfy. I could see rooms at the end of some of the numerous halls, but I didn't want to wander too far and get lost. How many of you have ever been in a mansion before? I'm guessing not a lot; so maybe have a bit of sympathy before laughing at my plight!

After a while, I decided to just take a seat on the bottom step of the staircase. Heh, it's funny how the act of doing something so regular can make you feel so poor in a place like this.

"Oh good, you didn't wander anywhere! I'd hate to have to go looking for you!" L'Arachel's voice sounded from somewhere above and behind me. I would've turned around, but the reminder that I was still holding her girly shirt and bikini top made me second-guess myself.

"Um," I gulped as her steps got closer, "i-is it safe for me to t-turn around?"

"Huh? What does that even mean, Edward?"

"Like…" Ugh, she's really gonna make me say it. "Well, do you have enough clothes on that I won't be… seeing too much… y'know, _you_?"

"Ooooh! Heehee, what's the matter, Eddie, you don't like a little _danger_ in your life?"

"M-Maybe not right n-now… Or anytime soon!"

"Well, it doesn't matter," she said cheekily. "It's safe to turn around."

Hah, I can't trust her word on that. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

She let out an exasperated sigh on the back of my neck. The warmth of her breath sent ironic shivers up and down my spine, and I shivered at the sensation. Okay, remember all that cockiness you saw from me earlier today? That wasn't me; that was the alcohol. This is the real me, and you'll remember that from my first few interactions with L'Arachel at the beginning of this week! Now I'm starting to see why Rebecca was so freaked out about me staying here.

"Here," she said, taking my hand and bringing it behind me.

"W-What are you doing?!" I asked a little more shakily than intended.

"Hmhm, I'm showing you that I'm wearing clothes," she said. The tension in my system eased out a lot when I felt the fabric of a baggy shirt touch my hand. "Better?"

"Hehe, uh, yeah, sorry," I chuckled, turning to face her. "Hey… how did you get my extra shirt?"

"Too many questions!" she proclaimed, pulling me up and leading me down one of the halls. "Loosen up a bit, Eddie, I'm not gonna rape you or anything… yet."

"See, that would normally be a funny-ish joke, but with you I can never tell what's a joke and what isn't," I said, looking around at all the fancy things surrounding me. "By the way, where are we going?"

"You'll see!" she said, glancing back to give me a wink. Knowing her, it's probably gonna be some weird, kinky room full of whips, chains, and latex suits. Oh gods, I'm not good with bondage! Not that I'd know from experience…

I was happily surprised, then, when she sat me down at a table in a rather simplistic kitchen. Huh, aren't mansions supposed to have big restaurant-style kitchens with a dining room just outside of them? If anything this little thing looks similar to my own kitchen! I bet there's a secret button or lever or switch hiding somewhere that she's gonna activate; thereby turning the entire room into some big party centre or something.

"Er, what is this, L'Arachel?" I asked after checking for any out-of-place switches.

"Uh, have you never seen a kitchen before?" she giggled, opening the refrigerator.

"Well, yeah, but I figured that, given that this is a mansion, there'd be a huge chef's kitchen instead of your average homey kitchen."

"I guess it makes sense that you're confused." Gee, L'Arachel, you think? I'm only slightly out of my element here in the rich part of a city I'm not from! "The chef's kitchen is closer to the dining room. This is my personal little kitchen for snacks and stuff!"

"Oh," I answered dumbly. I guess I could've figured that out myself. "Isn't your room upstairs though? Kinda far from this kitchen isn't it?"

"Nope," she said, pulling out a jug of milk and two glasses, and grabbing some cookies from the pantry. "There's an elevator out on the patio."

Ah, of course, what was I thinking? How could I possibly have forgotten about an elevator out on the patio that can quickly be used to go to and from one's room to the personal kitchen? Sometimes I'm such a commoner… Sarcasm, people, sarcasm…

"Heh, do you have someone carry you around the house too?" I joked, taking a cookie from the packet.

"Mm, only sometimes," she joked back. "I'd much rather ride you though."

I choked a bit on my cookie, earning a few giggles from her. I suppose I could've seen that one coming, but she always seems to know the things I don't necessarily want to hear. I mean it's not that I dislike the thought… No, of course I don't want that yet! Still, it's enticing… Gah, I feel like there's a devil and angel on each of my shoulders.

"Eddie, you make this way too easy," she laughed lightly, coming around the table and taking a seat on my lap.

"Uh, excuse me? You should probably ask before you invade someone's personal space like this," I feigned annoyance.

"Aww, you didn't say that earlier," she whined as she wrapped her arms around me. "It'll make later so much more difficult. Then again, I've never really been faced with a challenge like you."

Uh, did she just call _herself_ easy?! I probably wasn't supposed to interpret it that way, but apparently that's how my brain wants to think right now. Again, though, I have to question whether or not she's being serious about this whole thing. This is gonna be a long freaking story if my conflict doesn't change soon!

"I, uh… okay, I have to ask again," I said, figuring I had nothing to lose at this point. "Are you being serious about… y'know…"

"Know what?" she jeered. "You need to be more specific, Eddie."

"Ugh, but… you know what I'm talking about!"

"Do I? Hmm, it usually helps me remember things when I wiggle around," she breathed into my ear. I went kind of numb as she started grinding against me. As much as I always hoped I would be in this position, I can say that now isn't exactly the best time for it to be happening.

"L-L'Arachel! Th-This isn't the time to be doing this!" Gods, I sound like an old person saying that…

"Ooh, so you'd rather wait 'til later?" she whispered, slowing her grinds to put more pressure into each one. Urk, this is the most dream-fulfilling, uncomfortable, paradoxical-emotion evoking position I've ever been in!

"N-No! You do know what I've been talking about then!" I said, trying to use the small loophole to my advantage.

"Yeah, but I like being sure." She's so… cheeky!

"Then were you being serious?!"

"About what?"

"Us!"

"Heehee, what about us, Eddie? I need you to say the words."

*Sigh* I guess I might as well say it at this point. I mean she's probably noticed little Eddie all grown up by now, so I don't really have anything to lose. Why must she torture me like this? I thought we were here for a friendly conversation over cookies and milk… Okay, I should've expected L'Arachel wouldn't let something simple like that happen…

"Were you actually planning for us to sleep together?" I muttered.

"What was that?" she asked. "I couldn't quite hear you!"

"I said," I repeated a bit louder, "were you actually planning for us to sleep together?"

"Hmhm, if you insist, Eddie," she giggled into my ear.

"Wha- No, you tricked me!" Gods, she has me so helpless right now! I can't even break the fourth wall properly! I know I just did by saying that… and that, but that's all beside the point! My mind is just sooo messed up right now!

"You're such a cutie when you get flustered," she giggled, squeezing me tightly. While I welcomed her first non-sexual gesture of… ever, I couldn't help but notice what she was squeezing my face against. Whether it was intentional or not, I was embarrassed either way…

"Hey, um," I said after a minute or so of neither of us saying anything, though my head was still pressed against 'them', "what time is it anyway? Hehe, I would check my phone but you're kinda sitting on my pocket."

"Lemme see," she said, purposely pushing her hips against me as she leaned forward to reach across the table for her phone. "It's eleven. You aren't tired yet, are you?"

Puppy dog eyes, we meet again. I don't normally have a weakness for them, but something about this situation and the fact that it's L'Arachel's eyes we're talking about. Those big, gorgeous, green eyes… Sad, almost pouting so that I'll stay up with her… Wow, I don't think her eyes have ever looked so pretty…

"I-I guess I could stay up a little longer," I said, still not breaking eye contact with her. She smiled back, pecking me on the nose. "I should probably take a shower though."

"Oh, I figured you would wanna take it later since we're gonna get all hot and sweaty," she said, changing from her sweet act back to her regular flirty self, "but I guess I don't mind taking two showers with you."

I am way too susceptible to this girl's tricks… Damn the stupidity of being in like with someone!

"I was thinking more like… y'know, zero showers together…" I chuckled nervously.

"Nope, we have to save water!" she laughed, finally hopping off of me to put our empty glasses in the sink. "Let's go take that shower then!"

Without giving me a chance to retaliate, she grabbed my hand and ran me out onto the patio. If I'd had the chance to stay out there, I would say that the patio has a really nice view, but I got pulled into the glass elevator too quickly to actually be able to say for sure if it does. Anyway, the elevator stopped on the upper level shortly after we got on and we stepped out onto a balcony. For whatever reason, I wasn't nervous about being pulled into her unlit room right then, despite all of the earlier signs pointing towards that. Maybe it's because I'm more concerned with the shower that supposedly _we_ are taking together.

"Okay!" she huffed, flicking on the light as she pulled me into her bathroom. "Now strip so we can get in the shower!" she said as she began peeling off my baggy shirt she was wearing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I said, shielding my eyes (while leaving little peepholes between my fingers). "Were you serious about this too?!"

"Heehee, that depends if you want me to be."

Okay, I'm tired, trying to sober up still, and I think I've dealt with just about enough of her antics for one day. Y'know, being the almost-boyfriend of a girl who lives to tease you is more exhausting than it sounds, and it already sounds exhausting enough. I'm so tired that I can't even use exclamation marks in my monologue anymore. I'm just done.

"Look," I said as gently as I could while trying not to let my eyes linger on her standing there in only a bra and some girly boxers, "I get that you're teasing me, and it's been funny for the most part, but I was actually hoping that I might shower and go to sleep. Please don't be mad; you understand, right?"

"Mhm," she said, seemingly undeterred by the fact that I'd just shut her down. Opening a closet and placing a towel on the sink counter for me, she smiled and stepped out of the bathroom.

Ugh, something about that just felt wrong. I hadn't been hard on her, and she definitely didn't seem pissed off, but it's almost like I should've let her keep teasing me… What am I saying?! Of course I did the right thing! I even got my exclamation marks back because of it! Haha! End ALL the sentences with exclamations! I'm gonna take my shower now! Thank you, tenacity!

I let the warm waters soak into my skin as I scrubbed down my body. Heh, good thing I don't really need to shampoo; otherwise I'd probably smell like a strawberry. Actually, I guess this raspberry soap isn't really helping me out either… Whatever, once I bring my own stuff over tomorrow, it'll be all good.

After my ten-minute shower, I reached out from behind the shower curtain to grab my towel. I guess the counter is a little farther away than I remember it being. Oh wait, nevermind, I got it! Wait… my hand wasn't anywhere near the counter… Slowly I peeked my head out into the misty bathroom to see none other than the green-haired beauty grinning back at me.

"Ack! L'Arachel! How long have you been standing there?!" I cried, hiding myself back behind the curtain.

"I dunno," she giggled, "probably as soon as I heard you step into the shower."

That's a little creepy… "But you couldn't see me or anything… What were you doing?!"

"Did you want your clothes too?" she asked, ignoring my question.

"Um, yeah, that'd be nice…" I said before realizing that something must've been up. "Why…"

"Oh, because I had to move them into my room," she said in that cheeky tone of voice. "You'll have to come out and get them yourself."

I was going to complain to her, but then I realized that I was holding the towel. No sweat! I just have to wrap this around my waist and I'm all set to walk out without showing her too much Eddie!

"Okay then," I said once the towel was securely wrapped around me. Just for safe measure, I gripped the sides as I stepped out from the curtain.

Oddly enough, she wasn't there when I stepped out. I don't know what game she's playing, but now I'm a little more on edge. I could see that she actually had taken my clothes out of the bathroom though, the sneaky thing. Something on the counter caught my eye as I was about to head out though. A plastic cup with a sticky note reading 'Drink me' on it was sitting beside a partially empty bottle of coke. I can't imagine she didn't put some kind of alcohol in it, but I thought we were sobering up… I don't wanna waste it though… Bleh, obviously she didn't put much coke in that!

Finding that my head was spinning already, I stumbled into her room and was luckily able to make it to her bed before collapsing. What did she put in that, a freaking sedative?! Gods, I was gonna explain how big her room and bathroom were compared to your average ones, but now I'm a little too out of it.

"Oh good, looks like you drank it!" she giggled and collapsed beside me.

"What in the hell was in that?!" I slurred.

"Mm, I think it was… Nosferatu?" she giggled, wrapping her arms around my bare torso. I would've complained, but the little glowing dots on her ceiling were suddenly very distracting.

"Nosferatu… like the really strong rum?"

"That's the one!"

I'll spare you the details, but there was this one party I went to and it only took me one shot of Nosferatu to last me the night. I swear Leo took one shot and was drunk for the next three days! The fact that I basically just drank a whole cup (and by the look of it, so did L'Arachel), I'm probably not gonna be sober when I wake up in the morning. I wish I could be mad at her, but I'm feeling… a little too… relaxed…

"Heehee, looks like you don't care so much about your clothes anymore," she hiccupped. Gods, her hiccups are cute.

"Nope, just need this towel…" I said, smiling dumbly as I pulled her in closer to me. Looks like cocky Eddie is back. Not sure if that's a good thing or not…

"Mmm, you smell like raspberries," she cooed, nuzzling her face into my side.

"Heh, I had to use your soap… It smells like you and I like it," I said breathily.

"That's weird, I like it when you smell like you, Edward," she giggled.

"Well, I'll have all my stuff over tomorrow. I'll be able to smell just like you want me to."

"Oh, sounds like you aren't so jumpy as you were before. Have you changed your mind about what we're gonna do tonight?" she asked, rolling on top of me and giving me a wink.

"I'm a romantic, L'Arachel," I responded dreamily, "I'd rather have kisses before we move to the lovemaking."

"Hmhm, such a softie, you. But I don't mind starting gradually," she said before pushing her lips against mine.

Honestly, this is the farthest thing from romantic, but I won't deny that I did want to kiss her again. I mean we didn't actually make out earlier, but now she's not holding back. Her tongue was surprisingly sweet, as if she'd just been eating candy or something. Wait a second… Okay, I'm pretty sure there's a candy in my mouth now. While not the most pleasant thing to imagine, I can overlook it if we can keep kissing.

She started getting more handsy, running her fingers through my hair while wiggling a little bit on top. I decided to follow her example and streaked my hands through her hair, which was actually down instead of tied up like it usually is. She let out the slightest moan, but I must say that I was hugely turned on. Wow, alcohol sure changes my mood, especially strong doses in short periods of time…

I'm not really sure how long we made out for, but after a while she flopped down beside me and pulled our lips apart. I slowly opened my eyes to get a look at her. She groggily opened one eye before closing it again.

"Eddie, I'm sleepy," she muttered, snuggling up close to me. Heh, and after all that taunting and tormenting she put me through, now she's the sleepy one!

"Mm, okay, I'll let you sleep then," I said, pulling her in to kiss her on the forehead.

"Night, love," she said, kissing the air in an attempt to reach me before her breaths became heavier.

As tired and drunk as I was at that moment, I couldn't seem to fall asleep right away. I mean with everything that had just happened today, I'd be surprised if my brain didn't keep me up every night while I ran through all the events in my mind. To think it's only the first week into school and I'm already almost dating one of the hottest chicks in the school; not to mention that she seems to like an average guy like me just as much! I guess the assumption that the populars are all superficial is just a bad stereotype because I certainly don't have a whole lot going for me. Heh, I can't wait to hear what Rennac has to say about this. That asshole is probably just gonna tell me that I can keep her or something douche-y like that.

I heard a phone buzz from somewhere on my left, and glanced down to the floor to see my phone's light on. Normally I'd go check it at this point, but I'm much too comfortable with L'Arachel cuddling with me. Whatever, I'll just check it in the morning. Even if I don't remember that it went off I'm still gonna check it anyway.

A yawn escaped me, and I suddenly felt a little chilly as I exhaled. Carefully, so not to disturb our sleeping position, I slid the covers out from underneath us and gently covered us both. It's funny how peaceful L'Arachel looks when she's not acting all crazy and sexually driven. I could feel my consciousness slipping away as I continued to look at her, brushing a few hairs off her face. Kissing her once more on the forehead, I felt my eyes roll back as sleep took over my mind.

* * *

Whew, I've been up for about sixteen hours now, so my main goal was just to get this done before I crash for the night. Yeah, yeah, sixteen hours is nothing to some people, but I also worked out, so I'm probably gonna sleep for ten hours tonight :P. The other goal was to show that L'Arachel is more than just the flirty, sexual girl we've been seeing this whole time; she does have character with a backstory (as shown near the beginning of the chapter).

Anyway, I was initially planning to have him wake up in the morning and such, but I felt like I had nothing particularly interesting for him and L'Arachel to do in the morning (and before you ask, no I wasn't planning on making them have sex). The only idea I had was having her butler, Dozla, walk in, see Eddie waking up with L'Arachel still clinging to him, act all awkward, and then walk back out, but I figured that that wasn't really much of a necessity to add onto this. I figure that if he's a butler, he can't really say too much about what's going on, so he won't be much of an authoritative figure if I decide to make him appear over the next week while Eddie is staying at L'Arachel's.

Also, I'd consider myself more of an expert on fluff (not actually an expert, but I have experience with writing it) so writing the kiss scene for RxW was quite a bit easier than writing this one for ExL. This one was not fluffy; it was a raw, no holds barred, kiss that should've been leaking out seductiveness, so hopefully that's how it came across.

Next chapter is gonna be Rebecca's POV, and will probably start with her getting up at the beach, and at some point it will jump to a school day.

You'll have to let me know how you felt in your reviews (please more than two people this time :)) and remember to vote on the rating poll! This one may have pushed the boundaries of T-M, but it still isn't at my discretion, so make sure you vote! Remember, if you don't care what the rating is, that's probably a sign that you don't think it needs to be changed, so vote no in that case please!

_-GengaJupite_


	9. Drama Circles and Love Triangles Squared

Woooooooooooo! I'm done with econ for the rest of my life! Honestly, you guys have no idea how happy I am to be finished with learning about freaking interest rates and fiscal policy and all that boring crap! Man, I was so happy that I went out and bought myself Pandora's Tower right after I finished writing the exam; kind of a nice little gift to myself :3

Anyway, I still have one more exam, but it won't get in the way of my updates (hopefully) because it's on Tuesday. Sorry I couldn't get this posted in time, but I was studying like crazy. I'm also starting work on May 1st, so I might change my update schedule, but it all depends on how things work out.

Also, I'm not sure how many of you saw it, but I'd be grateful if you guys checked out my oneshot _I See the Light_. It's an IkexElincia fic that happens during and immediately following the ending of Path of Radiance. It only has a few reviews so far, but they've all been very positive, so hopefully you'll enjoy it!

Thanks for reviewing!

**Bearclaw13: **Ha, I think it's funnier that you think you're a horrible person for finding L'Arachel funny! Honestly, if you think you're horrible for liking it, what does that make me for coming up with all this stuff lol? Anyway, don't worry about not reviewing that other chapter; I can't expect everyone to review every chapter (though I do appreciate those who do :D).

**BritRecon: **Nice, so the raw intensity worked out! I figured I had to make L'Arachel a round character as well, so that's what I wanted to accomplish with the backstory (since all we'd seen up until that point was that she's a major tease). Hopefully you didn't get too anxious waiting for this update, but if you didn't see it yet, then you get to read the oneshot as well, so it's like a double update-type-thing-not-really-but-still :)

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Hey, thanks for checking out my other fic! I didn't respond to your review because it was so short, but I still appreciated it :). I'm actually surprised how responsive people are to L'Arachel in this story! I knew when I made her character that she was going to be the main source of comic relief, but I wasn't expecting her to be so popular! Guess that's why she's a popular ;P

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Drama Circles and Love Triangles Squared  
__(Rebecca)_

Oh, gods; head… spinning… thirsty… I'm so thirsty… Mouth tastes like asshole… not literally, just… Breath smells… Sun… why are you so bright? So… warm… never warm… oh, Wil's arms… sorry, babe, I need… water…

… … … … … … *Glug, glug, glug*

Okay, I can talk normally now. Oh, sweet, merciful Naga, ease the suffering of my head. Gah, Wil was right, I should've drank some more water yesterday… Hmm, are those sunglasses? Don't know whose they were, but they're mine now! Ah, much better. Oh, gods, seagulls, I swear to Ashera, if you don't shut up, I will literally shoot you down with a bow and arrow! Don't ask me why I thought of that, it was just the first weapon I could think of… Ugh, my head…

I dragged my feet back to where Wil was passed out and slumped down perpendicular to him, using his body as a pillow of sorts. Oh, hey, his phone! …Eight a.m.; why am I up so early? Whatever, looks like I'm not the only one to have gotten up yet. Huh, I thought Gerik left with all the other Magvel people… wait… why is he hunched like that… ohgodsdon'tpukedon'tpukedon'tpu- EEEEEEEEEWWWWW! Oh, gods, now I feel like I might… *urp*… nope, hold it in Rebecca!

"Gerik… couldn't you have at least done it in the fire pit or somewhere where no one might step?" I heard Boyd say from somewhere nearby.

"…Sorry," he muttered, burying his stomach contents with a generous amount of sand.

I watched as he shuffled over towards his tent, looking like a zombie. Guess he didn't have much water either. Wait a second… no way… no freaking way!

As he was making his way to the tent, I noticed a certain pink-haired girl poke her head out from behind the tent flap. Yeah, Marisa, get some, girl! She glanced over at me through tired eyes, but still managed to grin. I couldn't do much from my position, so I just waved. However, I wasn't expecting Tethys to also emerge from the tent the next second so she could wander off to where some other people were sleeping. At first I was a little peeved that she was sleeping in the tent with Gerik and Marisa, but at least she was leaving them alone now, even if they are hung over.

Actually, now that I look at it, everyone's kind of in little sleeping arrangements. Feena's propped up against Boyd's chest while he's propped up against a rock. Navarre doesn't look too happy, but he's still standing away from everyone. I'm actually more surprised that he stayed the whole night, but I guess Feena drove him here.

Omigosh, Leo, Nino, stop being so adorable! She wasn't sprawled out on top of him anymore, but their limbs are pretty tangled around each other. I'm a little jealous of how cute they are… I noticed Leo shiver a little bit, and then he reached somewhere behind him to grab a towel to cover both of them. Ah! Stop! The adorableness! I swear I'm going to burst right now! Nino, don't you dare nuzzle closer… no… don't do it… no, no, no, no, nonononononononono… EEEEEE THEY'RE SO CUTE!

Ahem, sorry, maybe I should look away from them for now. Okay, let's see who else we can spot. Sothe and Micaiah seem typical enough. Heh, the Shameless Six managed to crash with Nephenee, Mia, Callil, and Clarine. Who else is still here? Donny and Olivia… y'know, they actually seem kinda cute together, but I never would've guessed they would get paired off, especially since she's crushing on Ike… I suppose they were both singing something about swans last night though. From the look of things, most of the populars are grouped together, except that Sumia is with Chrom, and… Kris and Lucina? I always thought she and Robin had a thing, but I guess Kris is kinda hot; wait, didn't she say she likes Ike? Ugh, too much thinking for me right now…

Where is Ike, anyway? I know he walked off somewhere last night, but all I knew was that he went off somewhere to my left. Meh, can't hurt to look that way.

Well, I can officially say that Wil isn't the only romantic guy on this beach… Ike. Elincia. Walking back this way. Alone. Okay, they obviously just watched the sunrise or something because there's nothing else they would've done this early. Trust me, I doubt either of them has the energy to be doing _that_ this morning, so I'm certain they went for a romantic sunrise walk. I never pegged Ike for a sensitive sort of guy, but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. Heh, I bet deep down he's a big softie. Next thing I know and he's gonna be taking Elincia on some elaborate, candlelit boat ride for lovers as he confesses his undying love for her under the starlight. Whoa, that seemed like an oddly specific thought… I wonder if this is some weird, cheap, self-advertising scheme… Agh, sun, get out of my eyes! I SEE YOU, OKAY?! _I See the Light_!

I… don't exactly know what just happened so I'll ignore it and move on…

"Hhng… aaaah," Wil grunted as he stretched and opened his eyes. "Morning," he said with a smile, "how're you feeling?"

Sarcastically sliding the shades down my nose, I looked back at him with tired eyes. "Just peachy, love."

"Heh, I told you to drink more water," he stated, pulling me up so that we were at eye level with each other.

"I want to argue with you, but I'm not really in the mood right now," I giggled in response. "And it'll hurt my head too much."

"Well, that's good," he said, pecking me on the lips, "because I always lose arguments with pretty girls."

"Oh, aren't you just sooo smooth?"

"I try to be humble about it."

"Haha, you're a loser!"

"Guess that says a lot about your taste in guys then."

I tried to stifle my laughter as much as possible so that I wouldn't hurt my head too much. I don't know how Wil manages to make fun of himself before completely flipping it on me! I mean how do I even respond to that? If I call him another name, he'll just keep turning it on me, but I can't just say nothing!

"Whoa! I think… your phone is under me," he jerked as he said that. Huh, how did it get there? I used it to text Eddie last night…

"What makes you think it's my phone?"

"I'm just guessing since my back vibrated…"

"Oh… heehee," I chuckled lamely, sitting up off of him to get it. Looks like I missed a couple texts. Who would be messaging me this early in the morning though?

_2 new messages  
__Edward Trueblade:  
__Lol yhiou wofry tooo muhc Bec! Im fin. L'rcuhiel sleeping._

Um… what? Last I saw Eddie, he seemed like he was sobering up pretty well. What did I even text him? I think I told him to be careful again and not to do anything naughty with L'Arachel. Ugh, knowing her she probably had her way with him anyway. I'm guessing she got him drunk again because this text is… well, I can tell what he said now, but it's pretty much gibberish. And gee, Eddie, telling me that she's asleep doesn't really let me know if you guys did something bad! Let's just check the next message…

_Dan Wildflower:  
__Yo stupid. Moms pissed at u for not sayin youd be out all nite. Have fun comin home :P. Btw u stole my vodka didnt ya? Bitch_

…I guess it was my own fault for not telling her, but did Dart really have to go out of his way to torment me about it? And hey, I didn't steal it; I just… needed a bottle… and it just so happened that it was full of booze… I'm perfectly innocent! I've never stolen in my life! I just tend to borrow things from Dart without asking or having the intentions of returning them in the near future. And calling me a bitch? Rude…

"Everything good?" asked Wil, peeking over my shoulder a bit.

"Yeah, just have to deal with my mom when I get home," I shrugged, turning towards him.

"Okay, well, I should probably pack up my stuff. I'm guessing you don't really wanna stick around too much longer, do you?"

"Nope, I just wanna go home and lie in bed for the rest of today."

"Heh, should've drank water," he chuckled before giving me a kiss and beginning to brush the sand off of his towel.

Figuring he would pack up my stuff for me, I stepped towards the heap of burnt wood where the bonfire had been last night. Should I call Eddie? He's probably asleep still. Then again, it does say that he texted me at… six a.m.? What was he doing awake then?! Either he stayed up all night or he didn't go to sleep until sometime within the past two hours… Whatever, I wanna check up on him.

_Ring…ring…ring…ring…ring…ring…_

"Uhng… Hello?"came a very tired voice on the other end; but… it wasn't Eddie who picked up.

"Uh…" I paused, unsure of how to go about this, "L-L'Arachel?"

"Mhm…"

"Um, where's Eddie?"

"Sleeping…"

"Why'd you answer his phone then?"

"'Cause it was…*yawn*… buzzing against me…"

"Wait… were you just sleeping too?"

"Yeah…"

"O-Oh… okay, nevermind then, I'll call him later… Bye, I guess."

"Bye…"

Well, I don't think she even knew who she was just talking to, but that wasn't the most pressing thing on my mind. Eddie texted me before falling asleep, or maybe he woke up and texted before going back to sleep, but he probably didn't stay up much longer after replying to me. That meant he had to have slept with his phone, and if his phone was buzzing against L'Arachel… Edward! You weren't supposed to sleep with her! I'm not being hypocritical because Wil and I were outside, surrounded by a whole bunch of other people, and pretty sober by the time we both passed out! Oh, gods, Eddie, you better not have done anything with her! She probably has herpes or something nasty…

"You okay, Rebecca?" Wil asked as he approached with our stuff.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I'm just… ready to go lie down at home," I sighed. There was no reason to let him know about Eddie and L'Arachel; he would probably just tell me that it's not my issue.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty down…"

"Don't worry about it, Wil. It… it's nothing important, and I'm sure that I'm just overreacting because I'm hung over… Maybe we can talk about it later if you really wanna know, 'kay?"

He just shrugged and took my hand as we walked to his car. As much as I wanted to concentrate on having fun with Wil for right now, all I could do was worry about what Eddie had gotten up to. All the signs were pointing towards them doing something and I just couldn't get those thoughts out of my mind no matter how hard I tried. I'm just relieved that Wil didn't say anything about it while we drove away from the beach. Most people would push me to spill out my troubles, but not Wil; he just wants the best for me, and, well, I guess that's how I know he really likes me. It's subtle, but the only other guys who make me feel protected are Eddie and Leo. I suppose Dart does in his own way but it feels more like he's just keeping people away from me…

"So, uh," Wil started as he pulled into my driveway, "you're sure everything's alright?"

I smiled, readjusting the sunglasses on my face, and pecked him on the lips. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for the ride; I'll call you later after I have a nap, m'kay?"

"Heh, okay. If I don't pick up, it'll be because I'm napping too."

Giggling, I gave him another kiss before stepping out of the car with my things. Even though I feel like crap and Eddie's situation has been driving me nuts, I still can't get over Wil's kisses. Even the little pecks and such still send my heart into flutters. They aren't spectacular firework kisses like our first one yesterday, but I'm just as happy with the little kisses as I am the big ones. It's still hard to believe that we're officially dating. At least that makes me feel a little better right now.

"Sup, ho?" Dart sneered as I walked in through the front door. Well, there goes my slightly better mood…

"Piss off, Dart," I muttered, though I was tempted to call him Dan just for the sake of tormenting him.

"Aw, is that any way to greet your brother?" he snickered. "All I was gonna say was how pretty you look right now with all that sand in your messy hair."

Snatching his bandana away, I stormed off into the kitchen to get some more water. "Stop it; I'm not in the mood."

"WHAT WAS THAT?! I DIDN'T HEAR YOU!" The sheer volume of his voice made me cringe, and I quickly rubbed my temples. He definitely did that on purpose; no wonder we put him in JDB.

I turned to glare at him before dropping his stupid durag in the garbage. "Where's mom?"

"Pah, you really are in a bitchy mood today," he cursed, fishing through the trashcan. "And you lucked out. Mom and Dad had to go to some last minute conference thing so they won't be back 'til sometime in the week. By the way, you owe me twenty bucks for the drink! Gods, steal my booze and run off to some party with a bunch of my friends…"

"Don't even," I started, pouring a glass and taking a gulp of water. "You knew where I was going but said you didn't want to come 'cause you were out with Kleine."

"Heh, yeah, and I'd do it again, or should I say do _her_ again?"

"…You're sick. I don't need to hear about your sex life…"

"Don't be upset that you haven't gotten it on with someone hot! You're just jealous because I'm bangin' a total babe and you're still… I dunno, are you still seeing those twins?"

Wow, he really doesn't keep up to date with my life, not that I'd really expect him to. I mean, I didn't know he was with Kleine until about five months into their fling. I'd say relationship but I honestly have no idea if they're dating or just exclusively sleeping with each other. Either way, I don't really want to know any more details about their 'relationship'.

"Dart, that was, like, two years ago…" I said into my glass. "And you only like Kleine on the superficial level. She's a total bitch."

"Says the single girl who stole my booze and threw my bandana in the garbage."

"I'm not single; I'm dating Wil." Oh. Crap. That just kinda slipped out, and I wasn't really planning on telling him…

"Wil? You mean Wil Archer?! Hahahahahaha, you're dating little Willy?!" he cackled at his stupidly embarrassing nickname for Wil. "I mean, I guess I know him well enough, so I approve." Gee, thanks, because I was looking for your approval… "When the hell did this happen?!"

"Last night…" I mumbled, taking another gulp as my face got hotter.

"Oh, getting a little frisky on the beach," he jeered. "And here I thought you were such an innocent girl, Rebecca. Maybe we actually _are_ related!"

"Sh-Shut up! We didn't do anything like that!"

"Why not; 'cause of the sand?"

"No, not because… Wait, what? What does sand have to do with it?!"

"Y'know, chafing and shit."

"…I'm gonna go take a nap…"

Downing the rest of my water, I quickly got out of the kitchen, leaving Dart to laugh by himself. Gods, I really don't know how two siblings can be so freaking different! We don't even look alike; I don't think there's a hint of green anywhere on him, and to be honest he's pretty bulky. I'm… pretty much the opposite of those things. I'm also not a vulgar, gutter-brained, superficial asshole who doesn't know the boundaries of talking about my sex life! Seriously, who tells their siblings about that stuff?! I swear if any of you people do, I will frown upon you with the frowniest of frowns.

I should probably shower, but as soon as I slumped onto my bed I was done for the day. I did not want to move and I decided that I only would if I had to pee. Gods, is Dart still laughing? Geez, I can see how someone like him would think that whole ordeal was funny, but even then it wasn't _that_ funny!

_Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz…bzzz_

"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to check who was calling me.

"Hey, Bec." I'm not sure if I was relieved or uncomfortable to be getting a call from Eddie. "You called me earlier?"

"Yeah, L'Arachel said you were still sleeping."

"Heh, sorry 'bout that; I was kind of on-off sleeping all night. I didn't expect her to answer my phone though."

"Yeah, me neither…"

"Uh… is… is something the matter, Bec?"

Damn, this is why being close friends with people can have its drawbacks. All he had to do was hear the slight change in my tone (through the phone no less!) to know that I didn't sound too pleased with him. Ugh, well, maybe I can play it off like something else for now.

"I'm… just a little hung over," I answered semi-truthfully. From the hesitation in his response, it didn't sound like he bought that, much like I'd expected.

"…Um, okay." Good, at least he isn't going to push it further. "So, what'd you wanna call me about earlier?"

"Oh, I was… just checking up on you. You texted me around six in the morning and you seemed pretty drunk, so…"

"Heh, yeah, L'Arachel gave me some Nosferatu… I'm honestly not sure if I'm sober yet. I haven't stood up to check."

"You drank Nosferatu? Not a lot, right?" Yeah, last time Eddie drank Nosferatu was… well, it was an interesting night.

"Um… probably about half a plastic cup's worth…"

If yelling wouldn't cause my head to split, I'd probably be screaming at him through the phone. One shot of Nosferatu was enough to last him an entire evening, so why would he even think to drink half a cup! Gods, he's gonna have a fun Monday… I guess I shouldn't get mad at him because that'll be punishment enough for him.

"Bec, I know it was a stupid decision," he said as if he could see me and read my thoughts. "I didn't actually see how much she put in the cup though. I was in the shower and she left the drink on the counter for me."

"I'm not gonna yell at you, Eddie," I said as calmly as I could, "mostly because I would make my headache that much worse, but because there's no point in yelling at you if you're already gonna feel the consequences at school."

"Nah, I'll just drink a lot of water today," he chuckled.

"Yeah, because that worked so well when you only had one shot of Nosferatu, right?"

"…Touché…"

Even though he was being somewhat dumb, I couldn't help but giggle a bit at his self-mockery. You know, even though he gives me no end of trouble, I can't imagine what my life would be like without Eddie. He can pretty much make me smile on command, something else no one else can do. Yeah, Wil has his own way of doing it now, but I can't say that he made me feel that way when we didn't like each other like that.

"M'kay, well, I was actually about to take a nap, so I'll make sure to talk extra loud for you tomorrow."

"Aw, you're such a good person, Rebecca. Thanks."

"Heehee, I know."

"And so modest too," he chuckled. "Well, uh, I guess I could probably get some more sleep too since L'Arachel's still passed out. See ya tomorrow, Bec."

"Mhm, bye, Eddie."

To think that I started that conversation being angry with him and now I'm feeling kind of giggly thanks to him. Stupid Eddie, making me feel all happy and stuff… Wow, okay I think it's time for that nap.

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Ugh, I hate Wednesdays… Most people hate Mondays, but I always feel like I can suck it up for the week. Then Tuesday rolls around and I'm not quite so optimistic, and by Wednesday I just want the week to be over. But that's when you have to realize that it's only halfway through the week.

Oh yeah, I guess I skipped mentioning a few days there, but nothing interesting really happened. Honestly, I was super disappointed that Eddie wasn't hung over on Monday, so this week started out badly for me. Is it almost time for Drama yet? Gah, English is so boring!

"…let's see… hmm, Rebecca," said Lucius.

"H-Huh? Sorry, what was the question?"

"Could you please read out paragraph three?" he repeated calmly.

"Oh, sure… uh…" I swear I had my book open when he started talking… how did that happen? Eddie and Wil both had their books closed too; some help they are. "Ehehe, what page number was that?"

Lucius sighed, shook his head, and pointed to the board. "Page sixteen."

A few chuckles went around as I flipped my book to the right page. I couldn't help but notice that Wil and Eddie followed my example in case they got called on next. Yeesh, buncha leeches is what they are…

After those last twelve, grueling minutes of English, I said bye to Wil, and Eddie and I made our way to Drama. Kris and Nephenee were already there by the time we got into the theatre so we took a seat by them. I hadn't really gotten a good chance to talk to either of them since the beach, so now was probably the perfect time to find stuff out. I would've liked to ask Eddie as well, but… well, I'm actually not sure that I _want_ to know what he and L'Arachel have been getting up to.

"Ooh, Nephenee!" I said once we were in a little circle. "I was meaning to ask you this before, but I never got the chance!"

"I'm listenin'," she responded indifferently.

"Okay, well, what's the deal with Donny and Olivia? I thought they were paired up at the beach because they were drunk, but I've seen them together a few times lately."

"S'at it?" she chuckled. "Darn, I was expectin' something a li'l more exciting!"

"Hey, I think it's pretty cool!" laughed Eddie. "I didn't think Donny had it in him to score someone like her! Actually, I might've thought she'd be too shy to hold a conversation with him."

"Eh, I guess that makes some sense," she said. "Well, I'm afraid I ain't got much of a story fer ya. They was just gettin' to know each other at the beach 'n he says they got lots in common. S'posedly he's been helpin' her with some swan dance or somethin'."

"Heh, since when has Donny ever been a dancer?" I asked, smirking while trying to imagine Donny spinning around.

"Oh, he ain't no dancer. I reckon he's been helping her by singin' the song. I always do hear 'im with his li'l 'dum dee doo's around the house."

Thinking about Donny trying to dance was kind of funny, but I hadn't really thought of him singing. I've heard from others that he's not bad: not the greatest, but not bad. I should probably figure out a way to get him to sing, though I'm sure that if people actually discuss his voice, then he's not too uncomfortable singing in front of people. That or they took him to karaoke, but I guess I could do that too.

"Kris, man, why are you being so… shifty?" Eddie asked suddenly.

Nephenee and I turned our gazes to look at the blue-haired guy darting his eyes from each of us to the theatre's entrance. Heh, as if Eddie's comment wasn't enough, but Kris didn't seem to get that he was supposed to stop shifting.

"Oh, uh, I'm just waiting for… my sister to drop something off! Yeah, that…" he said in the least convincing voice I had ever heard in my life.

"Why would Chris be coming here? Doesn't she go to that private school in Jugdral?" Eddie retorted.

Okay, now before I let this conversation continue, let me give some background info for you. Yes, Kris has a twin sister named Chris. I have no idea what their parents were thinking naming their kids Kris and Christina, but it's probably one of the most bizarre situations in the history of ever. Then again, I think Robin has a sister named Robyn, which is also stupid… Seriously, they're some of the smartest guys in our school but obviously they didn't inherit those brains from their parents. Kris and Chris, Robin and Robyn… like, for real, who _does_ that?! At least Kris has different initials than Chris… Makes me wonder why she doesn't go by Christy because that would make things quite a bit easier…

"She's… uh, she's… coming because…"

"Heh, save your breath, Kris," I cut off his pathetic attempt at making an excuse. "I know who you're actually waiting for."

"W-What?!" he gasped. The other two glanced at me in curiosity. Oh, come on; was I seriously the only person who saw his sleeping buddy at the beach? "I… I don't know what you're talking about, Rebecca! I'm waiting for Lu-CHRIS!"

"You're waiting for Ludacris?" Eddie jeered, causing Nephenee to laugh away since she apparently didn't know whom he was waiting for.

"No! I meant Chris!" he whined back.

"Really," I taunted, "because it sounded like you were about to say, oh, I dunno, Lucina?"

Almost immediately, his face turned beet red, and the three of us broke into a fit of laughter while Kris stuttered to save himself. Most of what he was saying couldn't be heard over our giggles, so after a while he just stopped and turned away from us. It only made us laugh harder when we could see him still eyeing the doorway though.

I guess the whole beach thing was kind of like a way for our group to mix with the populars because when they did show up, the five of them came and sat with us right away, and they'd done so on Monday and Tuesday as well. Lucina obviously went straight to Kris, and we all snickered when we noticed his reddened cheeks. Inigo and Sain (thankfully) bypassed me and went straight for Nephenee. That left Eddie and I with Feena and Kleine. Well, I suppose I like Feena enough, but I always feel awkward trying to talk to Kleine because she's 'dating' Dart. I mean, we didn't really speak to each other before, but now it feels more awkward because it's almost like I'm obligated to. I don't know if you know what I'm trying to say, but it's a weird situation to be in for anyone; I can guarantee it.

"So, Eddie," Feena started; luckily for me she's probably going to ask the things that I wasn't so sure about questioning him about, "how's living with L'Arachel going?"

"It's, uh, going fine," he said without a hint of sheepishness, though he did start scratching the back of his head. "It's probably going the way you would expect it to."

"Oh," Kleine chuckled, "so does that mean you took the plunge yet? Because that's kind of what I expected when I heard about it." …No wonder her and Dart are 'together'; the way they talk is almost the same.

"Wha- No, that's not what I meant!" Eddie responded, noticeably flustered. "I mean, like, it's basically like hanging out all the time. Yeah, she teases me and stuff, but that's just like her. We aren't dating so nothing really happens except… y'know… *mumble*…"

"You've gotta speak up, sweetie," Feena giggled. Is she really this flirty by nature? See now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind if Eddie and Feena were a couple. In my opinion, she's just as cute, way less obnoxious, and I like her better overall. Boyd's a lucky guy, but I digress.

"Just… stuff…" Eddie huffed, ran a hand through his hair, and quickly turned the situation on her. "Anyway, what's with you and Boyd, huh?"

"Mm, I dunno yet," she responded without changing her bubbly tone, "he hasn't officially asked me out yet, but it'll happen. I think Navarre's still upset about it."

"Heh, does that quiet guy like you or something?" Kleine scoffed.

"I don't think so, but he's always kind of been protective of me. I mean, we aren't really friends, but I guess since I've known him forever he feels like he should or something. Heehee, I do appreciate that he beats up my exes when they're being jerks though."

"Tch, pathetic," Kleine chuckled before turning to me. "So, you and Wil, huh?"

"Yeah, um, what about us?" I asked. See? This is one of those awkward obligatory conversations that I was talking about earlier!

"Well, like, how's it going?" she asked in an oddly plain tone. I could tell she was feeling weird about it too, but I'm sure Eddie and Feena wanted to know more too.

"Uh, good, I guess. Heh, it's one of those questions where there really isn't much to say…"

"Weeeeell," said Feena, "has he taken you anywhere nice yet?"

"Not really… but we just started dating a few days ago and we've had school."

"Mm, that's one tick for the bad boyfriend checklist," she said, checking off an imaginary list in her hands with her finger. "He should've taken you out the day after since he didn't ask you out until nighttime!"

"I was pretty hung over… and I didn't want to go out that day."

"Tick number two on the list: girlfriend has to defend boyfriend for things that are his fault," she sighed, repeating the motion with her hand. I'm not really sure where she's getting the idea that he's a bad boyfriend, but I don't think this checklist really means anything either…

"Oh, check one off for being just plain stupid too!" I heard Eddie laugh.

"Edward, what the hell?!" I gasped, slapping his arm.

"Ow, what?! I didn't do anything!" he yelped.

"You just called my boyfriend stupid!"

"That wasn't me!"

"What? But I just heard you!"

"And I'm saying that I didn't say anything!"

"Darn right it wasn't him!" laughed a different voice. We all shot our glances behind Eddie to see Xane standing there in another one of his weird getups. "Sorry, kiddos, couldn't help m'self once I heard a bit o' your conversation! Class started about ten minutes ago, but you nine were all so caught up in your own drama that I figured 'Hey, it's Drama class, let 'em dramatize!' Still, you won't be gettin' off the hook that easy once we start doin' skits 'n stuff, kapeesh?"

All four of us were still a little too shocked by his flawless imitation of Eddie's voice that we all just kind of nodded with our mouths hanging open like fish. I'm being completely serious here; you've never experienced someone this amazing at impressions until you've seen Xane doing it in action! I'm actually waiting for him to imitate Gerome just so I can see him be all dark and mysterious… kinda like Batman! Anyway, he took our response and went over to the other five who were with us so that he could probably do the exact same thing to them.

Feena whispered something to Kleine and the two of them giggled a bit before shifting their eyes back and forth between Eddie and I. Whether it had something to do with both of us or two separate things about each of us, I'm not sure, but all I can hope is that they aren't planning to embarrass me. Like I said before, there aren't really any times when Drama class won't be drama-filled…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Lunch is weird these days. No one is completely sure which tables to sit at because we never really sat that close to the populars before. But now that everyone is kind of mixing together, we have to decide where to sit. I mean, the obvious choice for me would be to go with Wil, but I feel like I'm always abandoning my other friends. Then again, they could just as easily come sit with me… Gah, sometimes I hate high school political statuses. What even am I anymore?! I used to be a semi-popular, but now I'm… well, I just said I don't even know.

I'll sit with my group today. After all, Wil can come over here just as easily as I can go over there, right? Right. And besides, it looks like mostly everyone is sitting in the original groups anyway. Eddie and I sat down between Mia and Leo; it's funny how only a few days of inter-group mingling can make things like sitting with your old friends feel so distant. Then again, things always seem hectic at our school.

"Not gonna sit with Wil today?" Mia chuckled.

"Nope, I think it's his turn to come over here if he wants to sit with me," I chuckled back to her.

"What about you, Eddie? Where's L'Arachel?"

"Oh, uh, probably over with the Gossipers," he said through a full mouth and shrugged. A few crumbs fell out of his mouth and I couldn't stop wondering what a charmer my best friend is…

"Well, I like this," I said happily. "We haven't had the whole group sit together since last week! Everyone's been mixing around lately, so it feels good to have things like this again."

"Heh, you realize it's only been two days, right, Rebecca?" Leo snickered.

"Yeah, but it still feels like a while. Hey, where's Nino, Leo?"

"Knowing her she'll be tackling me from behind in three, two, one-"

"Gotcha, blondie!"

Wow, he's got her figured out down to a fraction of a second! I mean, he was so prepared for that that he didn't budge when she wrapped him! Well, as cool as he's trying to be now, I know that Eddie and I both had a fun little talk with him about what went down at the beach. Leo, if you're gonna be something, be adorable with Nino, because this whole 'I'm too cool for a spazz like her' ploy is total bull and you know it as well as we do.

I felt someone tap my shoulder, so I spun around, noticing Mia turn as well.

"Hey, guys," Marisa said somewhat quietly, "can you come with me for a sec?"

Mia and I glanced at each other, shrugged, and turned back to her. "Sure, what for?"

"Um, I-I'd rather wait until it's just us."

Confused by her answer, Mia and I slowly stood and went with her. She managed to drag Noire along with us, and I can say that she honestly seemed to have picked quite a random group of girls to come with her. My thought would've been that she'd have asked Mia and Sumia since them three are always together.

"I think we're out of sight," Noire squeaked once we had found a little alcove by one of the exits.

"Okay," Marisa huffed, leaning against the wall.

"Um, are you okay, Marisa?" asked Mia. "You look kinda stressed."

Stressed, Mia? Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one. She looks like she hasn't slept for weeks! Metaphorically speaking of course, since she slept with Gerik at the beach. Slept as in went to sleep, not the other meaning; gods, get your heads out of the gutter!

"Does this have something to do with Gerik?" I asked, figuring it couldn't hurt.

"Yeah," she sighed, unexpectedly pulling out her phone. "Um, I have to show you guys something. After seeing this, well, I think I need help with stepping up my game."

The three of us exchanged odd glances before turning back to Marisa. I'm sure I wasn't the only one wondering why she'd asked us three to come help her, but I guess she would explain it after we saw whatever she would show us. That or it would make some sense, but somehow I doubt it.

"You're all ready?" Marisa asked cautiously. All three of us nodded in response. "Okay, read from the top and scroll down to the bottom. This all happened yesterday night."

We all huddled around the screen to read the messages sent back and forth, and I'm sure that my eyes weren't the only ones going wide.

"Oh, hell no, he did not…" Mia said through gritted teeth.

"Th-That jerk," Noire stuttered.

"Wow, that was quick…" I said, more shocked than angry. "So, I get that you wanted to show someone but why us?"

"Because I think you guys can help me the best."

"Help you do what?" asked Mia.

"I need help either stepping it up so that he sees me as more than just a friend or…"

"Or what?" the three of us asked in unison, though I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. This probably wasn't going to be a very pleasant thing that I was getting caught up in. Gods, please be gentle with my fate, I beg of you.

"Or getting Tethys out of the picture for good."

* * *

Well, this chapter turned out a little differently than I thought it might, and I suppose I'm… okay with it. I probably should've spent a little more time thinking out something better for this, but I already felt bad enough for postponing this for as long as I have been. That being said, I may come back and edit this chapter because I honestly did only one read through before submitting this. Oh, and if you're wondering what the title means, it didn't used to have the 'Squared' in it, but I thought it would seem funnier because there were already two shapes in the title, so why not three…

Man, I have so many potential side stories, but I know I can't do them all, especially since they'd probably all have to occur during Rebecca's storyline. I could have some happen during Eddie's, but he's still dealing with L'Arachel, whereas Rebecca already has Wil. Truthfully, I find writing fluff is harder once a relationship has formed because there are no built-up emotions waiting to burst anymore. I kind of dug my own grave by making Rebecca and Wil start dating so soon, but that's why her storyline is gonna be a solid mixture of sides and her own thing with Wil. Eddie's is still gonna be focusing more on him and L'Arachel until something happens with them (something =/= dating) :P

I think next chapter is gonna be Rebecca again because I can't leave you with this cliffhanger (I didn't even tell you what the text conversation was), and I don't have many ideas for Eddie at the moment. Actually, I've had a pretty big writer's block for both of them, so it's all a matter of what I can come up with over this next week. Not to worry though, I'll try to make next chapter more entertaining than this one. The only part I think I liked writing from this was her conversation with Dart.

So, yeah, leave me a review! I don't mind if you think the chapter sucked; just let me know what you disliked so I can try to avoid doing something similar in the future! Also, if you haven't done so already, vote on the poll! I'm still waiting for at least three more votes! I seriously doubt this chapter would convince people that it needs an M, but remember to take all the chapters into consideration!

Thanks for reading!

_-GengaJupite_


	10. Calm Before the Storm

Holy crap, Distant Worlds was so incredibly amazing. Like, for someone who wants to someday make music as inspiring as all the stuff that I just saw performed live… I don't even know what to say. I pretty much nerdgasmed the entire time. And they ended it with the perfect encore, One Winged Angel. Gah, if only Uematsu had been there, it would've made my entire life.

Well, not much else to say for this week, so thanks for reviewing!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **When Marisa said she wanted Tethys out of the picture for good, I meant for it to come across as if she were saying she wanted her to be completely out of Gerik's sights :P. I guess now that I read it again it could be viewed as dark, but I can't really be bothered to change it. As for updates… I'm not completely sure what my schedule will be like. It'll depend on how work affects me, so I'll just say expect an update every one to two weeks. I'll make sure to keep everyone posted on this!

**Bearclaw13: **Hopefully this chapter is a little more upbeat. Honestly, I'm surprised I managed to write that last chapter because it's something like seven thousand words of pure filler material :P. This one should be a little more plot-developing in terms of Rebecca's story, so, yeah, here's to hoping this one doesn't suck :)

**BritRecon: **Yes, the fabled 'great stories list' of BritRecon! How I've dreamed of this day! Well, I'm not actually sure when this story will be finished, so it could be a while before this is actually added to it :P. In terms of each person's narration style, the way I look at it is that Rebecca is telling the story to an audience while Eddie is almost having a conversation with a group of friends. It's how I keep myself on track for how much fourth wall breaking is appropriate for each of them!

Note: The texting conversation at the beginning isn't in texting lingo (nil the smilies) because I felt like typing it out normally. Besides, I always text full words and such, just not proper grammar.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

'_Calm' Before the Storm  
__(Rebecca)_

We all eyed Marisa cautiously. She didn't seem at all malicious or angry, but the fire in her eyes meant that she was serious about getting Gerik. Now I'm somewhat regretting telling her to get with him by any means. I mean, yeah, they needed to get together, but this looks like it could turn out badly. I suppose I would be upset after a text like that too. Oh, sorry, you guys didn't see it yet, did you? Here it pretty much went something like this.

_Marisa: Hey, you :)  
__Gerik: Hey, Marisa, what's up?  
__Marisa: Not too much. My parents are gonna be away this weekend and it's our movie night!  
__Gerik: Oh, you didn't have anything naughty in mind, did you? ;)  
__Marisa: Heehee, possibly ;). But, yeah, are you busy?  
__Gerik: Uh, I think I might be able to chill on Sunday for a bit, but probably not long.  
__Marisa: Oh, other plans?  
__Gerik: Well I have a game and practice on Friday and Sunday, and I'm taking Tethys out on Saturday.  
__Marisa: Tethys? I thought you guys didn't really talk.  
__Gerik: We didn't used to, but she's actually pretty fun so we were probably gonna go to the amusement park and maybe get dinner after.  
__Marisa: Fun. What about our movie night though?  
__Gerik: Uh, can we do it next week or something? I don't mean to blow it off, but I can't really do it this weekend.  
__Marisa: …I guess.  
__Gerik: Sorry, I'll make it up to you :)  
__Marisa: Okay._

I don't know how important this movie date night thing is for them, but judging from her reactions I'm guessing it's a pretty regular thing for them. I don't have anything like that with any of my friends, so I can't really sympathize that well.

"Y-You don't want us to hurt her, do you?" Mia asked shakily.

"I wish I could slap that bitch myself," Marisa grumbled, "but no, I don't think it'd be a good idea for us to hurt her."

"Um," Noire said just loudly enough for us to hear her, though even then it was a strain, "I-I don't mean to sound dumb, b-but why did you need me?"

I couldn't blame her for asking that. In fact, it looked like Mia was thinking the same thing. If anyone, Noire would be the last one we would think to enact some kind of vengeful act against someone else; well, unless she's mad, but she looks a little more frightened than angry right now.

"I just…" Marisa said softly, "I thought maybe you could channel how I'm feeling. You always say some… angry things when you get, well, angry. I thought maybe you might say something we could use to get at her."

"Wait," I interrupted, "Marisa, wouldn't you rather make yourself better rather than making Tethys worse?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "but I need a backup plan. I really don't want to imagine losing Gerik to her. She's just so… so… argh! If he supposedly likes me, why is he taking her out?!"

As much as I wanted to tell her she was reading into it too much, it did seem like he was pretty clear that he was taking Tethys on a date. It isn't often that people go one-on-one to the amusement park and out for dinner just for a friendly day of hanging out. I should definitely talk to him at some point because I know for a fact that he likes Marisa, so this whole Tethys thing is just screwing things up completely.

"Noire, can't you understand my anger, my frustration?!" Marisa asked aggressively, grasping Noire's shoulders in an attempt to make her case stronger.

"I… can, it's just… I don't know if I can channel you…"

"Then pretend you're me!"

"I… I'm angry for you… but I'm not, like, _mad_ mad…"

Marisa huffed before a lightbulb went off above her head. I noticed the odd glint in her eyes and she looked as though she was trying to hold back a smile with the brilliance of her idea.

"Fine, then if Tethys gets Gerik, I guess I'll just go after someone else. Hmm, how about Robin?"

"Eep!" Noire squeaked, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. "W-Why would th-that make a difference?"

"Oh, come off it, girlie," Marisa said triumphantly, "I know you've had a thing for him for some time now. But I guess if I can't get Gerik, then Robin will suffice."

"B-But, you can't… it's not… fair…"

Mia and I exchanged some awkward glances. We both knew that Marisa wasn't being serious, but her method of getting Noire angry was, well, pretty unorthodox. It wasn't as though there really is an orthodox way of purposely making someone mad, but I wasn't really sure if I was supposed to be helping Marisa or Noire. I'm assuming Mia wasn't sure either, so we sort of just let the event unfold in front of our eyes.

"Oh, but it's completely fair!" Marisa almost chuckled. "I mean, if some other girl can swoop in and steal my guy, then I don't see why it doesn't work for everyone else. Make sense?"

"But… we're friends, Marisa…"

"Yeah, but Gerik's just my friend right now, and so is Robin. Given the circumstances, though, Robin's looking like a pretty likely candidate for something more."

"No."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you over my thoughts of Robin."

"DISGUSTING HOMEWRECKER!" Noire suddenly erupted in anger. The other three of us yelped and leapt back, but Noire was on Marisa like a lioness bearing down on her helpless prey.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT BECAUSE I'M WEAKER THAN YOU? OH, I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK, YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE IMP! I'LL LEAVE TOADS IN YOUR LOCKER! I'LL KICK DIRT IN YOUR PRETTY LITTLE FACE! THAT PERFECT PONYTAIL OF YOURS? SNIP, SNIP, YOU SLUT! OH, THAT'S A NICE TOP YOU HAVE ON; IT'D BE A SHAME IF I SPILLED SOMETHING ON IT! YOU STAY AWAY FROM ROBIN, YOU FILTHY CREATURE! I'LL MAKE HIM HATE YOUR VERY SOUL! I'LL MAKE SURE HE SEES YOU MISTREAT ME SO THAT YOU'LL NEVER HAVE YOUR CHANCE WITH HIM. AHAHAHAHAHA, BLOOD AND THUNDER!"

"Eek, okay, Noire, I'm sorry!" Marisa cowered beneath the enraged brunette. "I was never planning on actually stealing him, I just needed you to get angry! Now you get my pain, right?"

"O-Oh…" she suddenly returned to her regular self. Her mood shifts are so sudden that I often wonder if she's legitimately that bipolar or if she holds her anger in until it bursts. "Um, sorry, Marisa," she apologized, helping her up.

"Eheh… hehe," Marisa chuckled nervously. "Um, I think I got all I need," she said before hurriedly starting back towards our table. We followed after her and noticed the large groups of people staring down the hall in our general direction. Heh, Noire hadn't exactly been discreet with her shouting.

"Rebecca?" Eddie asked as we sat back down. "What just happened?"

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in the building could hear Noire. It was hard to tell exactly what she was saying, but we all definitely heard Robin's name get shouted…"

"Oh, heehee, don't worry about it," I chuckled, noticing Noire's flushed cheeks across the table. "We were just talking about something and she got really riled up."

Yeah, that's a weak excuse, but it isn't untrue; I just haven't told the whole truth! Lucky for me, Eddie's pretty indifferent when it comes to girl drama, so he just shrugged and went back to eating his sandwich. Teehee, he's such a simple boy, and I'm sure he's good at listening to other people's problems. He'd make a good boyfriend. Not for me of course… that would be weird… I feel like we've talked about this before, so you know the drill. Me plus Eddie equals awkward relationship pairing.

"Hey, everything alright?" asked someone from behind me. I felt a pair of toned arms circle around my shoulders and a smile instantly crossed my lips.

"Mhm," I answered, turning my head slightly to see Wil looking at me. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, well, I saw you come back with the quiet angry girl so I thought maybe something happened."

"Aw, you were worried about me? How sweet," I giggled. Actually, it was kind of sweet of him to care.

"Heh, don't pretend like this is something I wouldn't normally do. 'Course I worry about you, Rebecca," he said softly, kissing my cheek.

"Heehee, well, the feeling is mutual," I said, beaming at him. "Oh, but, uh, I probably should've let you know this sooner… Dart found out about us… Sorry."

"Haha, yeah, he was making a pretty big deal out of it at our lunch table. Kept calling me Little Willy. I don't think I've heard that nickname since we were eight or nine…"

Upon hearing Wil say his nickname out loud, Eddie started choking on whatever he was drinking. Wil and I both shot him weird looks as he tried to stop laughing and coughing. I mean, I can understand why he'd find the name funny, but did he have to make a scene out of it? Okay, I guess choking is somewhat excusable, but he definitely would have burst out laughing had he not been drinking.

"Got something to say, Eddie?" Wil asked him in an annoyed tone. Right, I still forget that they don't really get along well…

"If you must know," he retorted in a mischievous tone, "all that mushy crap you guys were just doing made me throw up in my mouth, Little Willy. Heh, for once in my life I think I'll agree on something with Dart. Little Willy seems like a suitable nickname for you!"

"Pfft, you're just upset because you have no one to be mushy with! Should I call you Envious Eddie?"

"Call me whatever you like, Little Willy, I don't take nicknames so seriously. I guess I'll just go find L'Arachel so that we can, how'd you put it, not be mushy? Right, because I'm so jealous. Bec, I feel sorry that you ended up with this joker. Soon as he finds someone he likes more or someone who boosts his ego higher, he'll toss you aside and treat you like garbage. Sound familiar, Wil?"

"Weren't you leaving?"

"Whoa, sorry for intruding on your space. Oh wait, I was here first!"

I watched helplessly as they both leered at each other. After a few seconds, Eddie let out a sarcastic chuckle and made his way off to where L'Arachel and some of the Gossipers were sitting. I turned back to see Wil still glaring after my smirking best friend. They have pretty different approaches about how they appear angry; Eddie was all smirky and mischievous, but Wil just looks pissed. The fire in their eyes was equally vicious though. Trying to ease some of the tension, I lightly tugged Wil's arm so that he would sit in the now unoccupied seat beside me. I… I really hope things won't be so stressful around the two of them all the time. I'm just glad no one else around us was really paying attention.

"Wil?" I said timidly. His nostrils flared, and he took a moment before readopting his regular cool demeanour.

"Sorry about that, Rebecca," he apologized, though there was still a bit of residual aggravation in his voice. "I… I don't know why I got so riled up."

"It's… fine, Wil. Eddie was a bit harsh with his words." Now that was quite an understatement. He was practically spitting venom at Wil! I actually don't know if I'd ever seen them get so heated before. Sure, they've made little quips at each other before, but nothing like that. I'm just glad it didn't go past verbal lashes at each other…

"It just irritates me," he sighed, looking me in the eye. "I mean, keeping every friendship you've ever had isn't possible, but he makes it sound like I'm the bad guy in this. I don't think he ever made a huge effort to stay friends with me either."

I just shrugged and rested my head on his shoulder. As much as I'd like to nod and agree with Wil, I still can't. I know that Eddie's a little more in the right on that argument because he did get tossed aside pretty quickly, and they _had_ been pretty good friends before high school. The way he'd worded it for our relationship was pretty uncalled for, though. These are different situations, and I don't think Wil's so immature as to go after someone else because they would help boost his ego. To think that I was under the impression that I carried more animosity towards L'Arachel than Eddie and Wil did with each other… I suppose this was what I had been worrying about at the beach. But as long as my relationship with either of these two boys doesn't get screwed up by all of this, then I think I'll manage.

"Whatever, maybe we should talk about something else," he said, mustering up a small smile, which I returned. "Like, what are you doing after school today?"

"Nothing," I said flatly. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Mm, not particularly, no. I think that new diner just opened up. Wanna go there? I know a few other people were gonna go today."

Well, I guess it's not exactly a date, but I have no qualms about going with a few other people. "Sure, who's all gonna be there?"

"I think it's Chrom, Rennac, Elincia, Feena, Tethys, Tiki, and then they're all bringing people too. Well, except Rennac. Heh, looks like he's gonna be the… thirteenth wheel… haha, can't say I've ever heard that number before."

I giggled and tried to piece together all of my friends who would be coming because of the given pairings. Let's see; Sumia, Ike, and Boyd are pretty much a given. I have no idea who Tiki might bring because I haven't actually seen her all that much. Wait… Tethys… oh crap.

"Um, Wil?" I said, taking my head off his shoulder so I could look at him directly. "Do you know if Tethys is bringing Gerik?"

"Dunno," he responded and shrugged, "but I'd assume so. She seems pretty set on getting with him."

"Oh," I muttered, casting my gaze downwards slightly.

"Is it gonna be a problem? Is there some weird beef with you and Gerik or something?"

"Uh, no, nothing like that," I replied quickly. "It's nothing really, just wondering mostly."

I was glad when he simply shrugged and nodded. Gods, boys really are oblivious, aren't they? I mean, how much more obvious could I have been about there being something wrong with that?! Whatever, I suppose I'll have to sit next to Sumia so that we can make sure Gerik and Tethys aren't getting too close. Actually, I can do better than that…

"Hey, uh, do you think it would matter if I invited someone?" I asked him.

"Probably not, who?"

"Oh, just my friend Marisa. Maybe she'll be able to keep Rennac company," I said playfully so that he wouldn't suspect anything. I'm not actually sure if he's aware of their love triangle.

"Heh, I mean, I probably wouldn't try setting Rennac up with anyone. He's kind of a dick, but if you think it might work," he chuckled in response. Aw yeah, who's awesome? I am! And wow, even Rennac's friends think he's a dick? That's… interesting.

The bell rang, indicating the end of lunch. What was next again? Oh right, business… Well, I'm just glad that L'Arachel and I don't have a mutual disliking for each other. I know it might come across like I'm the unreasonable one, but I've already outlined my reasons for disliking her; if she's just indifferent about me, then that's completely fine in my books.

"I'll see you later!" Wil said, giving me a quick kiss before heading off in the opposite direction that I had to go. I waved to him as he went off and turned around. First I had to take care of something.

"Marisa!" I called as she was about to disappear into the crowds of people.

"Hey, Rebecca, what's up?"

"I've got some good news!" I said a little excitedly.

"Oh yeah? Maybe it'll be a good pick-me-up. Gerik said he's gonna be busy today, so I can't hang out with him again…"

"Heehee, I wouldn't be so sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Wil invited me to go on a big group date with him and some friends after school today. Guess who's gonna be there and guess who got you a spot with us."

"No way!" she gasped and wrapped me in her arms. "Omigosh, thanks so much, Rebecca! But wait, if it's a group date, does that mean Gerik is going with…"

"Yeah, but why do you think I invited you? Did you think I was just gonna sit idly by while they hit it off right in front of me? Ew, that would be worse than seeing Eddie officially get together with L'Arachel!"

"Heh, that's a weird comparison, and I still think you and him would be a cute couple."

…I think I've explained how weird it would be enough times. If you can't remember that I've told everyone how weird dating Eddie would be for me, then please dunk a bucket of water on your head and refer back to _It's a Little Sandy: Part IV_, or even just scroll up to the monologue you probably read about five minutes ago. I've honestly talked about this so many times now!

"Hey, don't push it, I did get you this opportunity!" I laughed and started heading off towards my classroom.

"M'kay, well I guess I'll see you later then!" she called to me and waved.

Wow, that was certainly a mood-raiser! I don't even feel that annoyed about being stuck in a class with Eddie and L'Arachel for the next hour or so! Never thought I'd say that, but I just did, so, yeah! Insensible thought processes? Don't care, I'm in a random good mood!

"Hey, Lon'qu!" I said cheerily as sat down beside him in our little desk clump. "How's it going?"

"Fine," he grumbled. Oh, he's not getting off that easily today!

"Y'know I haven't really talked to you very much this week!" I continued, much to his obvious disdain. "What'd you do on the weekend?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Aw, why've you gotta be such a sourpuss?" I pouted. "Well, I hung out at the beach, and I saw your friend Navarre there."

"Good for you."

"How close are you guys? I never actually see any of you actually talking to each other at lunch!"

"Okay."

"Heehee, that's not an answer!" I laughed, lightly smacking his arm. I could've sworn that his entire body went rigid at my touch. "Uh, are you okay?"

"Don't touch me."

"What's the magic wooooord?"

"I'll kill you."

"Boy, that escalated quickly." I backed off a bit, but he wasn't going to burst my bubble that easily! Now, you may be wondering why it's even necessary for me to tell you about how I'm bugging Lon'qu right now, and my answer will be something like this: 'uh, because it's funny?'

"You really hate me, don't you?" I pouted, though I wasn't actually sad.

"No."

"Then why do you always shut me down so quickly?"

"…I find you exhausting."

"But I wanna be your friend!"

"I do not."

"Wow, rude. What's so exhausting about me? I'm nowhere near as bad as L'Arachel is, right?"

"Who?"

"What?! You don't know L'Arachel?! But she's, like, one of the most popular girls in the school! For Naga's sake, she sits across the desk clump from you!"

"Oh, her. She doesn't talk to me, so I put up with her."

"Wait…" I said, a thought suddenly popping into my head. "Do you even know _my_ name?"

"…"

"Lon'qu! I told you on the first day! I still remember yours!"

"I didn't think I would need to remember…"

"Geez, I bet you're a real hit with the ladies…"

"Women make me uncomfortable…"

"Ooooooh." Well, at least now I knew why he's always so quiet around me! Actually, no, he's pretty quiet around everyone… "But, you're talking to me right now, so I'd say you seem pretty okay with me!"

"You are forcing me."

"Heehee, no, _this_ is me forcing you," I chuckled, wrapping him in a hug.

"Gah, release me, she-devil!" he cried while squirming around. Some of the other students glanced over at us, but went back to whatever they were doing.

"Not until you say it nicely!" I giggled. I had him in a surprisingly tight hold, and his arms were stuck. Oh yeah, I'm just too good at this!

"P-Please unhand me, insane girl!"

"Hey, that's not nice! You should call a girl by her name when you're talking to her," I said, squeezing a bit tighter. His face was turning all sorts of different reds, and I was almost tempted to let go when I saw the sweat beads rolling down his face. Gross, he really _does_ get uncomfortable around girls! Well too bad, Lon'qu!

"I don't remember it!"

"Ooh, Rebecca and… quiet guy grew to a C-rank!" Eddie laughed as he and L'Arachel entered the classroom.

"R-Rebecca, let go!" he stuttered. Well, I guess that's good enough, but Eddie ruined it! I released Lon'qu from my hold and he moved over to the other side of his desk like a scared cat, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.

"What does that even mean, Eddie?" I asked, trying my best not to laugh at the terrified Lon'qu beside me.

"Heh, I dunno, it just seemed like the appropriate thing to say."

…I don't know how his brain works. Probably from hanging out with L'Arachel too often. She's most likely been getting him drunk every day too. Sounds like something she'd do. Say goodbye to all your brain cells, Edward.

The class went pretty much how it did every day; L'Arachel and Eddie flirted the whole time, I bugged Lon'qu to a reasonable extent, and Anna kept making obvious comments about how the top students would be offered a job at her store, working minimum wage of course. I guess it isn't the worst class ever. I mean, Anna is cool enough until it comes to figuring out whom she wants to hire, so I suppose this class is pretty relaxed for being my toughest one. I must say that I was relieved when the bell rang though. I'd much rather be in PE than sitting in a classroom next to my best friend, his crush, and a guy who hardly acknowledges my existence. The fact that Wil is in our PE class is an added bonus!

"Hey, Rebecca," Eddie said as we made our way to the gym. What the what?! He was actually talking to me while L'Arachel was around? I'm not complaining, but I wouldn't have expected it!

"What's up, Eddie?" I responded as unsurprised as I could sound.

"Just wondering if you had any big plans this week."

"Oh, did you wanna hang out or something?" Hah, fat chance. He's gonna be with his precious L'Arachel.

"Well, I won't be able to until Sunday." See? Told you. "But I was mostly just curious what you were up to."

"Mm, well, I'm going on a big group date after school today. Other than that, though, nothing comes to mind."

"You aren't gonna spend time with just Wil?" L'Arachel jumped into the conversation.

"Well, I probably will, but we don't really have anything big planned."

"Tsk tsk, that's a check off the bad boyfriend list. Not taking your girlfriend somewhere nice after a week of dating." Did the Gossipers make up this list or something?

"Has Eddie taken you out anywhere?" I asked out of impulse, though I knew they weren't technically together.

"Oh, um, we aren't actually dating," Eddie chuckled sheepishly. Heh, it's like he thinks I don't already know that.

"Not yet, anyway," L'Arachel said taking his arm. Bleh, I'd rather not third-wheel this right now…

Luckily we were pretty much at the gymnasium already, so I quickly went in and got changed before finding Wil. As usual, Kent got us to do a few laps and I was glad to have a chance to just sort of hang out with Wil before we started any actual PE sort of stuff. After seeing Eddie and L'Arachel get all couple-y without actually being a couple… ugh, I just need to not picture that. It's probably gonna happen though, so I guess I should just make do with what I'm being given right now.

Well, nothing particularly interesting went on, so I'll just skip talking about the class and get to now. Wil and I headed to the courtyard where we were meeting up with everyone else. It's funny how we'll be the only ones holding hands since we're technically the only official couple. Actually… I'm not sure what Sumia and Chrom are. I guess I'll find out in a bit. I'm pretty excited to go on a big group date! I mean, a lot of girls would rather be in a nice intimate setting with only their boyfriend, but technically this'll be Wil and my first time out as a couple, so I don't mind easing into the intimate settings. If anything, I'm a bit more comfortable doing it this way.

We spotted a few of the people sitting at a group of benches. I guess it makes sense that only a few of us are here, given that the bell did just ring about two minutes ago. Ike and Elincia smiled and waved to us as we approached. Rennac was flipping a coin around between his fingers and Tiki was with… oh my gods… I don't know this guy, but I sure as hell would like to! No, focus, Rebecca! You're dating Wil, remember? Gods, at least I know everyone else coming; otherwise I might just die from all the hotness…

"Oh, hey, Rebecca," Rennac said, jogging up beside me, "is it true that you're bringing some babe for me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, whatever," I answered offhandedly, trying not to stare too obviously at the blond god wrapping his arm around Tiki's back.

"Nice!" Rennac cheered, patting down his shirt in some attempt to make himself look more presentable. Sorry, Marisa, it was the only way.

"Hey, babe," I said to Wil, forcing my eyes off of Tiki's boyfriend (keep reminding yourself, Rebecca, he's someone's boyfriend and you already have one too!), "who's that guy with Tiki?"

"Guy? Oh, I didn't even see him there! Let's go say hi!" he responded. I was almost about to ask how he could have missed the herculean hottie standing there, but I realized that I was talking to Wil, my boyfriend, the reason I can't be thinking about Tiki's boyfriend. Gah, all these purposeful reminders are giving me a headache.

"Hey, Tiki!" Wil greeted happily. "Long time, no see, stranger," he added playfully, clapping her boyfriend on the shoulder, "how you been? Oh, this is my girlfriend, Rebecca."

"N-Nice to meet you," I said, hoping that the hitch in my voice wasn't too noticeable.

"Pleasure's all mine," he said in a deep, sexy voice coupled with a smile that could make any girl swoon. "I'm Glen."

"Glen," I repeated. The name sounded awfully familiar. I guess it's a pretty common name, but I'm pretty sure that everyone at our school has a different name, as strange as that may seem. "Oh, you were the rugby captain before you graduated last year, right?"

"Heh, didn't know I had a reputation around here. But, yeah, I was. I think I passed on the legacy to a good little bugger, too," he chuckled, pulling Ike over and patting him on the back. I would never refer to Ike as a 'little bugger', but Glen seems like he's bulky enough to pull it off.

"When do you think everyone's gonna get here?" Tiki asked, checking the time.

"Yeah, I wanna see this hottie I'm supposed to be wheeling!" Rennac added impatiently. Once again, I'm sorry, Marisa, but it was the only way.

As if on cue, almost everyone coming on the group date came walking out the front doors of the school. Okay, I think it's safe to say that Chrom and Sumia are dating, because they're holding hands publicly. That doesn't happen too often when people aren't together. Well, he could also be making sure she doesn't fall…

"Oh, hey, Kris!" Glen called, noticing him walking by with Lucina.

"Whoa, Glen!" he responded in surprise. Wait, Kris knew this god and never told me about him?! "What are you doing here?"

"Heh, nice to see you too, buddy," he laughed. "I'm going on a group date to that new place. Hey, you should come along!"

"I would, but I, uh, don't really have any money…"

"Aw, that it? Don't worry about it, I've got you and your girl covered! Least I can do for a future brother-in-law, right?"

Wait, what?! Kris just started sort of seeing Lucina, so does that mean… Glen has a brother who's dating Chris?! Damn that lucky bitch!

"Uh, Cormag and Chris haven't been together for _that_ long," Kris said a bit more uncomfortably.

"Don't be a poor sport, bro! C'mon, I'll pay for you two, it's no problem!"

"I guess if you insist… That okay with you, Lucy?"

"Hehe, I'm always up for a free meal," she chuckled, taking Kris' arm. That's odd, I always pegged Lucina for a serious girl, but I suppose personalities tend to change around the people you like.

"Hey, Rebecca, I'm here!" Marisa said as she came running up to me. I took a second to notice Tethys and Gerik's respective expressions of disgust and sheepishness at the arrival of the pink-haired girl. I couldn't help a grin from forming on my face; oh how I love stopping a relationship that isn't meant to be!

"Aaaaand, so am I!" Rennac announced, pulling up beside Marisa. "Well, hey there, gorgeous. Name's Rennac, and today's the best day of your life."

Marisa instantly shot me a look of mixed confusion and anger. All I could do was shrug apologetically as he whisked her off towards the back of the group. Luckily that was where Gerik and Tethys were walking so at least she'd be able to keep an eye on them.

It must have been an odd sight for anyone driving by to see this clump of sixteen people casually walking down the street together. It would've been easier if all the couples-to-be held hands as well, but I suppose that might be too much. I mean, some of them didn't even start seeing each other until the beach, but I digress. The point is that it's crowded on the sidewalk and anyone heading in the opposite direction as us will just have to go around.

You know, I probably could have predicted some interesting things might happen once we got to the diner, but the thought never crossed my mind. Good on me for realizing that sixteen people in a drama-filled group might cause some kind of commotion. At least the food was good…

* * *

Short-ish update, but I think I started having a little more fun with this chapter towards the end. Sorry to leave another cliffhanger on a consecutive Rebecca chapter, but I think the diner experience is deserving of its own chapter. Next chapter will be Eddie's POV but that just means there'll be a time overlap with the next chapter and the next Rebecca chapter. I doubt that really matters to you guys since you probably just wanna know what Eddie and L'Arachel are gonna get up to and what sort of ridiculous things I have in mind for this group date. At the moment, I have no idea, but I'm going to try my best to make it just as enjoyable as the beach segments were.

Also, don't think poorly of Rebecca for practically drooling over Glen. She just thinks he's hot, but she's definitely not having second thoughts about Wil. I may or may not have Cormag and Chris make an appearance in the future, depending on if I think it's a necessary side story. I actually didn't even think that I was going to have more potential for another side story but I like this one quite a bit! I have three main ones in mind. The IkexElincia one isn't one of those though because after writing the oneshot I don't really feel like thinking of something for them in this as well. Lazy? Perhaps, but I'd like to focus on the other pairings like the GMT triangle; BoydxFeena (which involves the quiet people); and potentially this Glen, Cormag, Chris, Kris, Lucina thing. I still have more ideas floating in the back of my mind, but I've decided that these three will most likely be the prominent side stories. I might have Eddie cover one of the minor ones like… well, I don't wanna reveal too much now ;)

Anyway, I'm not 100% sure what my update schedule is gonna be like (sorry if this chapter came across as rushed, I actually thought about a bunch of things to happen in this one) so the only basis I can give you is that it _should_ always be within two weeks. Feel free to rage at me if I break this rule at any time!

Thanks for reading and please review! I'd say check out my soundcloud, but I haven't added anything new to it in quite some time :/

_-GengaJupite_


	11. Just Your Average Day with L'Arachel

Well, I'm just gonna say this honestly, my updates will most likely be more spaced apart than they were when I was still in school. Working full time is gonna make me tired at the end of the day, and if you take into account my minimal social life and gaming habits, then writing isn't given much time to spare. I'll try to get a chapter in every weekend, but I can't guarantee it, especially since I'm doing two stories at once (in which readers from both are expecting me to update weekly :O). How about if it isn't updated by Sunday, expect it to be done by the Sunday of next week before getting mad at me, okay? That sounds fair to me :)

Also, I recently found out that Feena is not on the list of characters to choose from in the fanfiction FE thing… Seriously, double-you tee eff, fanfiction?! Maybe that's the reason people on here don't really have a clue who my favourite dancer from any FE game is… I guess you also would've had to play either FE3 or the remake that was in Japanese. There's an English patch for it, and I would definitely recommend playing it if you thought Shadow Dragon was underwhelming. Trust me, its sequel definitely makes up for it. And if you don't wanna do that, then just go on the FE wiki and search up Feena. Her sprite kinda reminds me of Anna, only as a character she's cuter and funnier (and that means a lot since I love Anna).

I moved the review responses to the bottom because I felt like I said a lot for this chapter's A/N. I also feel that it's necessary to say that I know how I want this story to end, and I know it's gonna break a few of your hearts (cue evil laugh). I can't say why exactly, but don't worry, no one dies or anything like that. I also don't know if it's the type of ending to get some tears, but possibly. Anyway, I should probably stop pestering you ;)

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Just Your Average Day with L'Arachel  
__(Edward)_

"Master Edward? What are you doing? Where is Miss L'Arachel?"

"Sorry, Dozla, I don't have time to explain, just pretend like you didn't see me come in!"

"But you are hiding behind a very obvious vase."

"Gah, fine, I'll find a better hiding place!"

"Whatever are you hiding from? And may I ask why?"

"Ugh, it's L'Arachel; you know the drill."

"Hoo haha! That I do, that I do. One would think she would be less… promiscuous while I am around, but apparently you seem to know just what makes her tick."

"…Let's just stop talking. Ah, here she comes! Act natural!"

"Wahahaha!"

Sorry, folks, I can't really explain myself at the moment. You'll probably find out what's going on in a minute or so, so just hang tight.

"Eddieeeee!" L'Arachel chanted flirtatiously as she entered the mansion. "Oh, hello, Dozla, did Edward come in yet? …And why are you laughing?"

"Heh, you know me, Miss L'Arachel, always laughing with the vases and such." What kind of an excuse is that, you crazy old coot?!

"That's true," L'Arachel responded. Uh, wait, does he actually laugh by himself? Weird… "Anyway, have you seen Eddie?"

"I cannot say that I have seen Master Edward anywhere," the butler answered in that butlerly manner of his. "He may have gotten lost in the mansion somewhere. He is quite prone to doing so." Gee, thanks a lot…

"Damn, are you sure he isn't hiding?"

"And why would you accuse Master Edward of such a foolish and childish routine?" Wow, Dozla, you're freaking killing me here! It's definitely because he knows I can't say or do anything right now…

"Probably because he's still a child," she said mischievously, taking a few steps closer to Dozla, "and because he's certainly… a fool!"

She giggled gleefully as she shouted those last few words and yanked me out from my hiding spot. I suppose when Dozla said I should have picked a better hiding spot, I should have done it… I didn't even bother resisting as she dragged me up the stairs and towards her room. Well, I mean, she literally had to drag me, so if you count that as resisting… it wasn't like I was pulling against her or anything, but I digress. Anyway, I guess I can tell you what this is all about while I enjoy this somewhat uncomfortable yanking on my arm up the stairs.

Today's my fourth day at the Rausten mansion, and I swear I've nearly been...let's just sexed almost every single waking moment since I've been here. Actually, scratch that, I'm sure she's tried stuff while I've been asleep too. You would think that Dozla, being our unofficial guardian and all, would try to stop her from tormenting me, but according to him he "can't interfere because he is still subject to L'Arachel's orders" and her uncle didn't specifically tell him to stop us from doing anything dirty before he left…

I mean, for that first Sunday, after I'd brought my stuff over, I kinda went along with it until she started tearing off my clothes like a savage beast. I'm not kidding, that shirt is literally torn down the front, and I actually liked it… Ever since then, it's been like a game of cat and mouse. She'll stop if I tell her to, but only if we're at the point where I'm basically helpless beyond reason. Anytime earlier than that and she takes it as me playing hard to get, and apparently she loves a challenge. That's not exactly the way she worded it, but I'll spare you the dirty details.

"Eddie, you're so lazy!" she whined, struggling to get me up all the steps. "You could at least crawl or something!"

"Hmm, nah, this prolongs the time I have to try keeping my clothes on."

"I'll do it right here," she said flirtatiously, moving her hand from my wrist to the collar of my shirt.

"I don't believe you," I said back, though I was pretty sure she would do something as rash as stripping me naked in the front hall with Dozla standing right there…

"Is that a challenge?" she asked seductively, a glint appearing in her eyes.

"NO!" I shouted as she tugged on my collar a bit. "You can keep dragging me…"

"Aw, but now I think it'd be more fun here," she giggled, basically pouncing on top of me.

"Ack, nope!" I cried and squirmed away as she started lifting the bottom of my shirt up. Geez, I didn't even know people like this existed in real life! This is not the kind of fantasy you want, men. It sounds awesome in your head, but it's not nearly so great once it's actually happening.

"Heehee, I'm gonna get you, Eddie!" she giggled like a child as she chased after me.

Usually I would be panicked in a situation like this, but it's honestly happened so much over the past few days that this is a pretty normal routine. It makes me wonder what she does when I'm not here. Like, how did she keep herself entertained before this week started? Either way, that's not the focus here. Right now, I have to find a place to lock her out until her crazies settle a bit. Ah, there's her room!

_*Slam*_

I breathed out in relief as the lock clicked behind me. Slumping down with my back against the door, I waited for the inevitable complaints. Should happen in about three… two… one… zero… negative one… negative two… Okay, so I'm not as good with timing as Leo is about Nino, but give me some slack here!

"Eddie, let me in!" she hollered, lightly punching the door.

"Heh, now why would I do that?" I snickered triumphantly.

"If you let me in, I'll let you in," she said in that special, L'Arachel-style seductive voice.

"I think I'll pass. I mean, that's kind of what I was trying to avoid."

"Eddieeeeee!"

"Sorry, but those are the breaks, kid." Wow, that made me sound like one of those badass, lone ranger type of characters from a movie. Think Indiana Jones for reference.

…She seems awfully quiet for someone who desperately wanted to come in and sex me up… Did she give up? That seems pretty unlikely. I can't see the shadows of her feet under the doorway. Oh, gods, I'm sure if I peek out, she's gonna jump out of nowhere and smash her way in! But… I have to know where she went. It's no fun keeping her out if she isn't gonna try. Yeah, I'm just as into her cat and mouse games as she is, but I'm doing it from a different perspective. Taking a deep breath, I unclicked the lock and carefully peeked out the doorway.

Huh, nothing. No L'Arachel, no decoy, no- Yipes!

"Haha! You forgot to lock the balcony door too!" L'Arachel's voice cheered from behind as she yanked me straight from the door to her bed. "Or did you forget about the elevator, you little cutie?"

"I, uh, well, I kinda did," I panted, clinging to her bed sheets for dear life. "Could we maybe go, oh, I dunno, one freaking day without doing this?!"

"Aw, innocent Eddie is afwaaaid," she mocked. I am not! I'm just… not ready…

"Well, I like kissing and stuff," I muttered. Hey, if I can turn this into something I'd actually enjoy, then I'll do just that!

"Mm, I think we'll save that for Friday," she said, surprisingly rolling off to lie next to me instead.

"Friday?" What's happening then? Some party she didn't tell me about? Gee, thanks a lot, L'Arachel…

"Isn't that when you were planning to take me on our hot date?" she giggled.

Oh. Right, I still hadn't really thought about where or when I was going to take her out. Now that I think about it, wasn't I supposed to set up Mark and Serra? Ah, well, it doesn't matter because L'Arachel already knows I like her, so what does it matter if Serra tells her? Go get Mark yourself, you blackmailing snake! That was a little harsh…

"Right! How could I forget?" I chuckled, hoping that she didn't realize I hadn't planned anything.

"It's also our last night together since my uncle will be home on Saturday night. He won't care if you're hanging out here, but I don't think he'll be so happy if you stay overnight."

"Heh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I stayed in a different room and you don't try to rape me."

"True, but then there's no point in you being here!"

"Ouch, what am I, your personal boy toy?"

"Heehee, pretty much. You're also free eye candy, so stop complaining!" she laughed, latching onto me like a koala bear.

You know, I never would have thought of myself as eye candy material. I mean, don't you have to be whatever a girl's definition of hot is? The last I checked, I'm still the same average-looking dude as I've always been. But hey, if she wants to boost my ego, then I won't stop her!

"So, what are you gonna do once I'm gone?" I asked casually, seeing as her craziness had settled.

"Mm, not sure," she said plainly. "Probably the same old stuff I always do when you aren't here."

"Heh, and what is that? You haven't really done anything but dominate me since I've been staying here."

"Hey, give a girl some privacy will you!" she laughed, pinching my arm lightly.

"You do realize just how hypocritical that makes you sound, right?" I chuckled back, wrapping my arm around her. "I mean, that's a huge double standard on privacy if I have to watch my back when I'm taking a freaking shower but you won't even let me know what you do when I'm not here."

"Heehee, aw, but I thought you liked constantly having me peek at you!"

"It's kind of embarrassing…" Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's seen me naked and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't seen a little more L'Arachel than I'd been expecting to…

"It's hard to believe this week is half over," she sighed, nuzzling into my side. "And to think that just last week I was daydreaming over Rennac. Ew, my standards were low…"

Damn right your standards were low, L'Arachel! I'm not really sure what standards I garner, but I would hope that I'm higher than Rennac in most people's books.

"Uh, can I ask you something?" I said, realizing something out of the blue.

"Mhm."

"Hehe, it's kind of awkward now that I think about it, but how come you were so flirty with me all of last week if you still liked Rennac? I mean, I'm still surprised that at the beach you stopped liking him just like that. Didn't you like him for a while or something?"

"Oh, heehee, well, I was doing all that stuff because you told me you were into greenies, remember?" Right, and that's what had led her to flirting with me in the first place… "And then I dropped Rennac because I realized just how mean he was to me. I'm not really sure how I missed that before."

"Um, does that mean I could be dropped just as quickly as he was?"

She giggled in response. "Who said I liked you like that, Eddie?"

"Well, the fact that you cling onto me like a lost child when we go to sleep is reason number one," I chuckled. "The fact that you willingly want to go on a date with me would probably be the second, and the third would probably be because I can currently feel you trying to fumble with my belt…"

Sighing, I gently pried her hand from my groin area and wrapped her arm back around me the way it had been before. She just giggled like always and nuzzled back into my side. Even though it's mildly annoying, I think I'd like a relationship like this. She's certainly… loving enough, if that's what you want to call this. Well, I mean, right now she's being all cuddly and whatnot so I suppose this is what a loving relationship is like. The sexual advances are a different side to her personality. I'm just glad they aren't the _only_ side.

"Eddie?" she said, glancing up at me for a moment.

"What's up?"

"Mm, nothing, I just like this. What we have, I mean."

I smiled and let her rest her head against me again. We stayed like that for some time, and it took me a little while to realize that she'd actually fallen asleep. Heh, that's odd considering it's only about four in the afternoon. She's probably tired because of how late she stayed up pestering me; I wouldn't know, I was asleep. Like I said before though, she's so peaceful when she's not acting all crazy and sexual. If I were tired, I'd probably take a nap as well. Too bad I'm not.

Carefully sliding out of L'Arachel's grip, I slipped the blankets on top of her before stepping out of my room. Luckily I knew the mansion well enough to make my way to her private little kitchen. Dozla greeted me on the way down and I simply nodded back to him. I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to act around Dozla, you know? I mean, I have no experience with butlers, but since I'm a guest in the home, do I treat him like any other acquaintance or am I allowed to be slightly less formal with him? I guess it doesn't really matter since no one has complained about my mannerisms.

Now that I think about it, what should I do while L'Arachel is asleep? She hasn't exactly done this before and I don't know how I feel about wandering about the mansion. Like it or not, Dozla was telling the truth when he said I'm prone to getting lost around here… Hey, maybe I could ask him what I could do. He's probably more helpful than the maids or cooks are anyway.

"Hey, Dozla?" I said, making my way into the main hall where he was readjusting some of the paintings.

"Ah, hello, Master Edward," he greeted the way he always does. "Did you require my assistance?"

"Uh, sort of, I guess," I responded awkwardly, scratching the back of my neck. I'm sure all of you have been in some kind of situation where you can speak informally to someone but they have to be super polite in return. If not, well, it's kinda weird, not gonna lie. "L'Arachel fell asleep, so I was wondering if you knew anything I could do to keep occupied until she wakes up."

"Hmm," he pondered, bringing a hand up to his bushy beard. "Perhaps you could complete your schoolwork?"

"Ugh, I don't have time for that!" I answered, completely contradicting what I had just said.

"Heh, just like Miss L'Arachel, you are," he laughed deeply. "Have you been to the home theatre room? If she awakens, I could send her to you while you watch a film."

I shrugged and nodded, allowing him to lead the way. I'm surprised I haven't been in that room actually. L'Arachel had given me a tour of all her favourite rooms in the mansion, so I guess she doesn't watch a ton of movies or something. Either way, I still think a home theatre would be pretty badass, even if I didn't watch a lot of movies! I'd probably play all my games on the movie screen. Damn, I should've brought some of my games and stuff over. I was right in the middle of replaying Mario Sunshine, too…

"Here we are," Dozla said as we walked into what could best be described as an entire library of DVDs, Blu-Rays, and even a bunch of VHS tapes. "Now, on the wall by that door there," he said, pointing to a door on the other side of the room, "is a panel where you must insert the disc or tape. Once you have done so, you may proceed through the door and take a seat in any one of the chairs. Each seat has a remote linked to it, so it does not matter which is chosen."

I thanked him and he left me to browse through the vault of movies. Let's see, wow, they must have every movie in existence in here! I don't really know what I feel like watching. Hey, what's this special bookshelf for? Maybe it'll have some of their top picks!

_Mean Girls, White Chicks, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, 13 Going on 30…_

Okay, well, I'm gonna go ahead and assume this is a shelf dedicated to L'Arachel's top picks… Let's see what else there is. Aha! Comedies, I've found you! Now, it has to be here somewhere; after all, you can't have an entire section for comedy movies without having this one. There it is! Oh yeah, thank the gods for _The 40-Year-Old Virgin_!

Popping the disc into the machine, I walked through the door to see about twenty super comfy looking lounge chairs. Oh hey, freshly popped popcorn! Don't know how that got here or who made it, but I'm not complaining. Picking up my bowl of randomly acquired food, I walked over to the seat in the very centre and flopped down. Wow, I will never be able to go back to a regular movie theatre after sitting in this private theatre's chairs… The lights began to dim automatically, and menu for the movie showed up on the screen. I clicked the OK button on my right armrest's remote panel and instantly began pigging out on the food. I'm a hungry teenage boy, what do you expect?

I shuddered when it got to the waxing scene. Ever since Rebecca had thought it would be a fun idea to wax some of my leg hairs off, I've never been able to watch this movie without cringing at that part. It was so painful, like, holy crap, I swear I start throwing things at her whenever she even jokes about it!

"There you are," L'Arachel's voice floated in from beside me. Huh, how'd she get there? I guess I'd been too engrossed in the movie to notice her come in.

"Hey, I thought I would let you sleep for a bit. You seemed tired."

"Yeah, I was," she yawned, sitting on my lap instead of going to the next seat over. Hey, I won't complain, as long as she doesn't start grinding on me again… "Heehee, why are you watching this movie?"

"Well, because it's funny, miss smartypants."

"Oh, it isn't because you think you can relate?" Ouch, straight for the ego!

"What, you think I'm gonna be a forty-year-old virgin?" I questioned, giving her a semi-angry look.

She giggled and leaned herself on me a bit more. "Well, at the rate you're going, I don't think it'd be an impossibility."

"Heh, I was kinda thinking the opposite," I chuckled back to her. "I was thinking that at the rate you're pushing me, I'd be surprised if I make it to seventeen!"

"Ooh," she cooed. Shit, bad sign, Eddie. Why did you think to say something like that to her?! "So that means you want it to happen sometime soon, while you're still sixteen."

"N-No! I just meant that y-you're always so insistent and flirty…"

"Heehee, I'd be more than happy to help speed things along, Eddie," she said as sexually as I'm sure you've all grown used to her being by now.

I forced myself to try concentrating on the movie, but it was a little difficult not to notice her grinding on me again. Gods, I set one goal for myself and can't even accomplish that. Just don't think about the crazy-hot girl rubbing her ass against you, Eddie, and everything will be fine. Yup, just don't even concentrate on her backless top or sexy face or tantalizing scent… Hhhhnnnnngg! Why do I do these things to myself?!

"Shouldn't you be watching the movie, Eddie?" she teased, squeezing my cheeks with her hand and redirecting my face from her to the screen. "Or am I just that much nicer to watch than the movie?"

"Yeah…" I breathed out dreamily. "I-I mean, you just stole my attention for a bit; that's all!"

"Whatever you say," she giggled, continuing to torment me with her movements.

The movie seemed an awful lot longer with her sitting on my lap, so I breathed a sigh of relief as the credits rolled and the lights started to come back on. Apparently I wasn't allowed up right away, however, as L'Arachel decided that she wasn't going to get off of me.

"Um, L'Arachel?" I said, squirming a bit. "The movie's over. We can… y'know, go do something else now."

"Well, we could do something else right in here too," she said mischievously. "This room is almost soundproof you know."

…I seriously set myself up for these things. Obviously I'm not trying to, but I should have learned by now that there are certain things I can't say around this girl! Don't get me wrong, I like her and all, but this is starting to feel old. When do I get a side story? C'mon, Rebecca already has three lined up for her; I need a distraction for a little while too!

_Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz…_

"Oh my, Edward, you're certainly kinkier than I thought," L'Arachel giggled.

"I just… you know what, I'm not even gonna bother," I sighed and shook my head. "Sorry, can you stand up for a sec? I think someone's calling me."

"Mm, why don't you just reach into your pocket and get it?" she giggled. Normally I would get all embarrassed and whatnot, but touching her ass with the back of my hand through my pocket while I try to get my phone isn't all that terrifying. Well, it isn't anymore…

"Hello?" I asked once I'd successfully gotten the phone. L'Arachel, stop smiling like that; you're giving me a bad feeling.

"Hey, Eddie, it's me, Leo." Oh, gods, L'Arachel, what are you doing to my belt?! Stop, stop, stop, damn you, she knows I can't make it sound like something bad is happening over the phone.

"O-Oh, hey, Leo, what's UP?" That came out a lot choppier and shakier than I'd meant for it to. L'ARACHEL THAT'S MY FLY, STOP IT!

"Uh, I was wondering if you were busy tonight. Nino and I were gonna go out to the pond. You could bring L'Arachel if you wanted to."

"Oh, urk, th-that… sounds like FUN. S-Sure, I'll have to, ow, ask if SHE wants to." Okay, pants are getting pulled a little lower than I'd like. L'Arachel, you can pull down my pants, but you do not have permission to take off my boxers!

"Eddie… what's going on… You're talking all weird and stuff…" My apologies, master, but let's see _you_ try to hold off a tormenting nymphomaniac dominatrix! Not the boxers! L'Arachel, put your clothes back on! Oy vey…

"I-It's nothing, just in the MIDdle of… something… NOT DIRTY! Just trying to… y'know…"

"…Okay… well, while you're doing that, why don't you ask L'Arachel since you two are… doing whatever…"

"Y-Yeah, one sec…" Dammit, Leo, you couldn't have just let me text you back later or something? "H-Hey, L'Arachel? Leo wants to GO on, urk, a d-double date with us later. You in?"

"Ooh, that sounds hot," she breathed onto my neck as she ran her hand up my shirt. Wow, I should put Leo on speaker so that she can't do anything like this while I'm on the phone… I mean, talking on the phone while an extremely hot girl in nothing but her underwear is straddling you isn't the easiest thing. "If everything goes well, we are gonna have _such_ a great night tonight." Please stop pushing your topless chest against me like that. Thank the gods you're still wearing your bra.

"Yeah, I think she's in," I squeaked into the phone.

"Cool, so we'll meet there around seven thirty-ish?"

"Sure, gotta go bye!" I spluttered out and hung up before he could say bye. "Holy shit, do you have any idea how hard that was?" I blurted out. Honestly, I started that conversation with both of us fully clothed. Two minutes later and I've hardly got my shirt on (since she couldn't get it off with my arm up to my ear) and my boxers about halfway down my ass, though the front was still fully covered. Likewise, she was wearing just her unclipped bra and panties.

"Heehee, you aren't very good at multitasking, Eddie," she laughed, continuing to push her body up against mine. "And what was that you said just now? Do I have any idea how hard you were? Well, I didn't really check, but I'm not opposed to it."

"Nope! This area is off-limits!" I said, quickly covering my man parts with my own hands.

"That's too bad," she continued, though she didn't sound at all disappointed. "But since our clothes are mostly off, why don't we just get the rest of the job done?"

"Hehe, I'll m-make a raincheck…"

"So then how about tonight? Mm, Eddie, you really know how to get hot and hor-"

"Hey, we've gotta get outta here in about and hour!" I quickly changed the subject. Being that I'd now become an expert on doing the opposite of what every guy should know how to do, I reached around her back and reclipped her bra. "We should go get ready!"

"You're lucky I don't give up easy, Eddie," she chuckled, getting up off me and picking up her clothes. "Most girls would've told you that you killed the mood by now, but I like it when you play hard to get."

"For the millionth time," I sighed, pulling up my boxers and grabbing my pants off the ground, "I'm not playing hard to get! I just don't want to do it yet…"

"I think you'll change your mind by tonight," she returned, glancing over at me to wink before walking out in just her underwear. *Sigh* she really has to make these situations difficult for me.

"Master Edward, I just-"

"We didn't do it, Dozla," I said as I walked by him and headed up the stairs. "Trust me, it won't be happening anytime soon."

"She seemed to be singing something that would tell me otherwise."

"That's L'Arachel for you…"

"Wahaha, right you are, Master Edward!"

Man, he is far too lenient to be anyone's guardian. I pray that I never meet his kids, assuming he has any, because they're probably all spoiled to death. Dozla has got to be the most laid-back butler I've ever met! Well, he's technically the only butler I've ever met, but you know what I mean!

I shut the door to the guest room behind me and quickly went to shut the bathroom door as well. I probably should have mentioned that the bathroom connects L'Arachel's room and the guest room. Yeah, I don't really get a lot of privacy… Oh would you look at that, a new piece of lingerie hanging on the doorknob to "excite" me… I don't think I need to change, but I should probably shower. And so begins the challenge of getting in and out of the shower without being seen naked. I think I've won about one of the five times I've tried now…

Stepping into the bathroom, I nearly crapped my pants at what happened next.

"Hey, Eddie, gonna take a shower?" L'Arachel asked from somewhere on my left. Yeah, I'm not gonna bother looking. Why not? Well, here's a hint. I somehow missed the sound of the bathtub filling up, the bathtub is on my left, and so is L'Arachel…

"W-Well, I was, but maybe I'll wait 'til you're done," I stuttered, quickly turning to leave.

"Aw, but you could've joined me," she giggled. "There's bubbles, so you can't really see anything."

As much as I knew I should've just gotten out of there and waited for her to finish up, I couldn't help stealing a glance over to where she was. Sure enough, a large buildup of white foam covered the top of the enormous bathtub, hiding everything except for L'Arachel's shoulders and up.

"It's just like skinny-dipping," she beckoned, holding an arm out for me to take supposedly.

"I, uh, can't say I've ever gone…"

"Well, there's a first time for everything!" she continued, motioning her hand towards herself.

Well, Eddie, you've got two choices right now. Leaving would be the obvious one, but there's something so intriguing about what she's offering. Duh, any guy would be intrigued if a super-hot girl asked them to go skinny-dipping, regardless of any evidence pointing towards the opposite from earlier in the chapter… I mean life. Red pill, blue pill scenarios… I hate them. Hell, I'm no Neo, though! Take the blue pill and make my safe escape? Sounds good!

"Fine." …Wait… brain… what have you done, brain… I just took the red pill… and didn't even mean to…

"Heehee, well, you can't go skinny-dipping with all your clothes on!" she giggled.

"Right… uh, could you look away until I'm in the water?"

"That's no fun," she pouted, but turned the other way as she fixed her hair.

Seriously, Eddie, why didn't you just get out of there right away! I have got to be the stupidest person alive right now… I don't even know how this happened. But I can't exactly just leave right now… Ugh, I guess I'll just get in, wash up, and get out. Sounds like a solid plan, I'll try to stick to this one!

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"Heehee, that was fun, wasn't it?" L'Arachel giggled as I drove us out of her driveway.

"I wouldn't exactly word it that way…" I muttered, trying to forget everything that happened in the bathroom. Trust me, you guys don't want to know. Actually, you're all drama-loving assholes who relish in my misfortune, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell you!

"Aw, poor Eddie Weddie! I thought you were enjoying yourself! Your, ah, _body_ certainly seemed to be."

"You weren't supposed to see that much of me. I wasn't supposed to see that much of you!"

"Heehee, but you sure liked the feeling, didn't you?"

"Not when you're forcing me, I don't!"

"You should be a little more willing tonight then."

"Ugh, why do I even try?"

"That's what I've been saaaaying!"

Yeah, like I said, you don't wanna know. We didn't do it, or any form of it, so don't misunderstand what was just said. I really don't have a clue what made me think getting into a bathtub with her would be a good idea in the slightest. Skinny-dipping in a pool or something might've been okay, but a bathtub? I am a freaking idiot…

"Sooo," she said after a couple minutes of silence, "I guess this is like a practice date?"

"Heh, I guess you could call it that," I chuckled, glancing at her for a moment. "I guess Leo wanted to hang out since it's been a while. We probably won't have to stay with them for too long if you just want to chill with me."

"You make me sound like a bad person, Edward!" she laughed, lightly smacking my shoulder. "I don't mind if you wanna hang out with your best friend for a bit! I think Serra said she would be around there anyway!"

"Really? That's funny," I mused, wondering how coincidental that was. "What's she doing at the park?"

"Well, she said Mark asked her to go to some pond with him." Heh, so he actually asked her out? I didn't realize he had a thing for her. "I'm guessing it's the same one we're going to. The pretty one in Elibe, right?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. "I guess we'll probably see them there then. Triple date?"

"Hehe, you better make sure I'm having the best time out of all the girls, Edward!"

"Course I will, L'Arachel," I said confidently as we pulled into the parking lot.

"I heard Mark's pretty romantic," she taunted. "You sure you can one-up him?"

"Sure I can," I said as we unbuckled our seatbelts. "Here I'll prove it to you."

Without any hesitation, I leaned into her face and gave her a slow, short kiss on the lips. She didn't say anything, but she did giggle a little bit, and was that a blush on her cheeks? Wow, that's a first. Score one for me!

"There, our first sober kiss," I laughed and began to step out of the car. "Still think Mark is gonna outdo me?"

"Heehee, I might need a few more later to find out," she responded gleefully.

For once, I can fully take on one of her requests without hesitation. I do like kisses after all, and tonight is gonna be one hell of a test date.

* * *

I had originally planned to include the date in the chapter but, like last chapter, figured that the date deserved its own chapter. I dunno about you guys, but I think I can see some fluff in the next Edward chapter ;). Obviously they still won't be together officially (otherwise the actual date on Friday wouldn't have much point) but I do want some good old-fashioned fluff in there; after all, it is my specialty.

I'm not completely sure how I felt about this chapter. It felt kind of… not filler, but more like a big buildup chapter. The next few should be interesting (the group diner date followed by the triple park date), so hopefully these somewhat lackluster chapters will be redeemed! And as a note on side stories, I still haven't decided if SerraxMark will be Eddie's side story, or if I'm going to decide on something else. Leo and Nino unfortunately don't really get a side story until much later (and even then it isn't much), so I apologize if you were hoping for one.

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Wow, Cormag is your favourite SS character? I never would have guessed that Cormag Ravenstaff likes Cormag! :P Also, that dragon rider Glen line made me lol for real. I didn't really think about it since all the manaketes in this story are just regular people. And if you want to write an AU, then I think you should do it! After all, your presentation will be different from mine, so it won't be like you're copying! Well, unless you copy…

**Bearclaw13: **Actually, I just recently got my main file to all A supports for every character, so I have seen the Lissa-Lon'qu conversations (just haven't seen their S yet). I wanted to drag over some similarities, but not too many. I mean, it isn't like Rebecca isn't also a girl :P. As for Marisa and Tethys, you'll have to wait and find out ;). Oh, and don't worry about my responses; your reviews never offend me. I, personally, thought that chapter hadn't gone so well, so that's what I was referring to when I said it sucked!

**BritRecon: **Things in the love triangle will probably start getting a little more heated soon ;). Let's say from Tethys' perspective, she's just a lecherous girl who wants Gerik badly. As you know, Eddie still has his own main plotline to follow with L'Arachel, but I think I'm gonna throw in a side story for him as well. I mean, Rebecca already has three in the works, the least I could do is give one to Eddie :P. Gotta keep things dramatic!

**Fire Miner: **Hey, glad you're enjoying the story! In the very first author's note in chapter one, I said that I wouldn't be putting in any characters from 2, 4, or 5 because I hadn't played any of those ones. I didn't add many from 1 because I didn't really care for many of the characters in that one all too much, but Navarre and Feena will both have important roles in one of the subplots later on!

As always, please review, and check out my soundcloud (link on my profile)! I posted a new 8-bit song last week, so here's hoping you guys will enjoy! Oh and also, if you haven't voted yet, vote on the poll for this story's rating! I'll be closing it by next update, so if you still have yet to cast your vote, then do so soon!

Thanks for reading!

_-GengaJupite_


	12. Diner Dilemma

Oh god, my room is so hot… I'm dying… Yeah, my family picked a bad time to get a new cat. Whenever we get a cat, we don't let it go in our rooms for the first few weeks because they're all excited and tend to knock things over, so it makes sense to avoid the rooms with a lot of things on ledges. However, my room, being right above the garage, changes with the temperature the quickest, and because I can't leave my door open, I'm sitting in a room that's about thirty-something degrees Celsius even though it's only been getting to about twenty-two/four outside… I want to leave, but all my stuff is in here :(. No, don't tell me to go outside; I work outside five days a week!

Anyway, I didn't even start writing the chapter when I began this A/N (I couldn't stay in my room long enough to do so) but I…damn heat, I literally forgot what I was about to say because it's too hot… I'll just get to the reviews…jk I got more than four so they're at the bottom…

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Diner Dilemma  
__(Rebecca)_

"Hi, we had a reservation for fourteen, but would it be possible to add two more?" Tiki asked politely to the hostess at the diner. It was really more of a restaurant than a diner, but I digress.

"Ugh, your table's not ready yet," she responded without glancing away from the screen in front of her. Wow, that was… bitchy.

"Heh, don't worry, babe," Glen reassured his girlfriend, pecking her on the forehead, "I'll handle this."

We all crowded around to see what he had planned in store for the mean hostess. Since I don't know Glen as well as I'd like to… I mean very much… I had no idea what he would do to this girl. Would he complain to the manager? Embarrass her right on the spot? Force her to apologize to Tiki? Oh, this'll be good!

"S'cuse me," he said in an overwhelmingly sexy voice, causing even her to glance at his beautifully masculine face. "Severa, was it?"

"Hehe, um, y-yes, sir? How can I help _you_?" she giggled girlishly, obviously eyeing him up and down.

"Well, my friends and I were hoping to get to our table a bit sooner than later. Now I can see a girl like you must be busy, but I was hoping-"

"Right this way, handsome!" she said before he could finish his sentence. While it wasn't exactly what I expected him to do, I can't say that trick wouldn't have worked on me had I been in that girl's shoes.

"Glen, why do you always have to do that with girls?!" Tiki harrumphed.

"Aw, c'mon, Teeks, you know I wasn't doing it for me," he said, wrapping her in his arms.

I giggled at the sight of them and turned towards Wil. "You better not hit on other girls unless it's for the greater good too!"

"I make no promises," he chuckled back, squeezing onto my hand so that I couldn't smack him.

We all sat down at a long row of tables that would accommodate the sixteen of us. Wil sat on my left and Sumia on my right. I was sitting directly across from Gerik, who had Tethys and Marisa on either side of him. I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Marisa had somehow managed to weasel herself away from Rennac, seeing as he wasn't sitting anywhere near her. In any case, I was probably seated in the best spot I could've hoped for.

Nothing super interesting happened for the first ten minutes or so. Mostly we all just kinda sat there and made regular conversation with the people around us. Wil and Chrom were both talking to the people around them, so Sumia and I took the time to scope out what everyone was doing. Marisa seemed to be holding her own well enough for now, so we let her be. Ike and Elincia were flirting; typical. Boyd and Feena were also flirting as per usual, but I definitely heard him ask something about Navarre. I guess he's still nervous about the quiet people after that incident at the beach. I wonder if this is some kind of foreshadowing for a future subplot of mine? Meh, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Sumia and I giggled at the sight of Rennac placed in between both of the aforementioned couples. Try as he might, there wasn't too much he could try to say or do in his current position. I'd feel bad for him if he wasn't so… Rennac…

"So, Saturday," Gerik said as he turned towards Tethys and away from Marisa.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," she giggled, leaning in a bit closer to him. Gah, he is such a dick! Gerik, you don't like Tethys, you aren't allowed to!

"Ow!" he yelped as my foot collided with his shin under the table.

"Heehee, sorry, I thought that was the table leg," I said innocently while winking at Marisa. She smiled back and inched herself a little closer to Gerik.

"Gerik," she said sweetly, stealing his attention from the redheaded dancer, "we're still hanging out on Sunday, right? You know I like coming to your games."

"Oh, uh, y-yeah!" he stuttered, a noticeable blush flowing to his cheeks. Now if that doesn't prove that he likes her more than Tethys, then nothing will! "I always thought you got bored at those, though."

"Pfft, since when has that ever happened?" she laughed, mussing up his hair.

Sumia and I exchanged glances at the sight of those two laughing while Tethys looked annoyed. Ah, all seems right in the world again. Now as long as she leaves the two _actual_ lovers to do their thing, I don't really care what she does.

"Heh, I guess Rennac and your friend didn't really hit it off," Wil chuckled, turning to me.

"Nope," I said happily, "but at least she and Gerik seem like they are."

"You didn't happen to do that on purpose, did you?" he asked suspiciously, leaning closer to my face.

"And if I did?" I challenged him back.

"You little sneak, you," he chuckled, pecking me on the lips. "It's okay, though, I don't mind sneaky girls, as long as you don't do anything evil to me when I'm not looking."

"Us ninjas do whatever we want," I giggled, kissing him again.

I'm glad no one around here will make any obnoxious 'awww's when Wil and I kiss. I don't mind it too much at school, but I can't say that it doesn't get a little bit annoying after a while. Besides, if anyone here did it, well, we're all paired off, so it'd be easy enough to force them to kiss too. Hmm, maybe I should get Gerik and Marisa to kiss…

"So," I heard Tiki say from the end of the table, "how do you and Glen know each other, Kris?"

"Uh, just through our siblings, I guess," he said sheepishly. Gee, why is he so nervous? Is he embarrassed or something? "Chris and Cormag have been together for a little while."

"Pshaw! I'm pretty sure four years is more than 'a little while', bro!" Glen laughed.

"I didn't even know you had a sister, Kris," Lucina said playfully, nudging him in the side. "Are you ashamed or something?"

"No! Nothing like that!" he responded. "I, uh, I just don't really talk to her that much. She's not here most of the time, but we usually don't have much to say when she's here is all."

"Dude, you're acting all weird," Glen chuckled; I can't say I disagree. "You worried about her finding out 'bout your girlfriend?"

"W-We aren't dating," Kris stammered.

"Heehee, I bet your sister is gonna pester you nonstop when she finds out, right?" Tiki giggled.

"We aren't dating though."

"Oh, I'm sure Chris and I will get along fine," Lucina added. "I mean, if she's anything like you, then…"

"Ugh, but we aren't dating! She's gonna make some huge deal out of this when it isn't even anything! I never did anything like that to her when I found out about her and Cormag!" Whoa, someone's a little touchy… Well, at least the waitress is coming with our food.

"Here's your salad."

"WE AREN'T DATING!" Kris exclaimed angrily, receiving a light yelp from the unsuspecting waitress. "Oh, shit, uh, I mean, thanks…"

By this point everyone was staring at their end of the table somewhat awkwardly. Kris wasn't usually one to lose his cool, so it was a bit of a weird situation for everyone to sit so quietly after an outburst from him. Is it bad that it kind of makes me want to laugh? Probably, but for the sake of not being weird, I'll keep it together. I've gotta keep cool around the cool people, right? Not like Abercrombie and Fitch cool, seeing as their CEO is an ugly douchebag (you all heard about that, yeah? He only makes clothes for the "cool" kids…), but cool enough not to come off as weird.

"Hey, Kris," Boyd jeered from the other end of the table, "so I heard you and Lucina were dating."

Leave it to Boyd to get everyone laughing. Well, everyone except for Kris; he just shook his head and leaned into Lucina's shoulder, which, admittedly, only made me laugh harder. A crouton flew across the table and struck Boyd in the chest. Oh, gods, we are not having a food fight in the middle of a restaurant…

"Rebecca," Wil grabbed my attention from the rowdy conversation at hand, "are you doing anything on Friday?"

I tapped my finger to my chin in a very Anna-esque pose. "Mm, I don't think so. Did you wanna do something?"

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe we could go out on a date date. Like, just the two of us. That is, if you're alright with it."

I'm not sure why, but my instinct was to glance over at Feena, who was apparently eavesdropping and gave me a wink. I guess that's her way of revoking a demerit on the bad boyfriend checklist. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I looked over that way; it isn't like I really ever talk to her. Still, I don't mind if it makes my boyfriend better at…being my boyfriend… I should really ignore that stupid list…

"Um, yeah, sounds great!" I replied happily, squeezing his hand in mine. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Heh, it's a surprise," he said coolly, and I once again found my gaze falling on the cheery dancer giving me her support.

"Heehee, I didn't realize being together for a week warranted a special surprise date."

"Is usually wouldn't," he said smoothly, "but you're worth it, Rebecca."

"Awww," pretty much everyone around us cooed. I tried my hardest not to laugh, but I couldn't help myself as the blush rushed to my cheeks.

"Well, aren't you gonna kiss?" Marisa beckoned.

I smirked back at her and raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you go first?"

At that she turned beet red and squeaked a little bit, but she smiled all the while, leaning her head on Gerik's shoulder. Why, Tethys, you're looking a little unimpressed. Wait… Gerik's chuckling a bit and turning towards Marisa's head on his shoulder… What's he doing… Oh my gods, what is he doing…

_*Smooch*_

EEEEEEEEEEEE! It wasn't a lip kiss or anything, but I was definitely not expecting that to happen! I mean, I'm sure all of you were thinking the same thing as me; that they probably weren't gonna do anything like that until way later! Haha, take that, Tethys! I don't approve of homewreckers, and that is exactly what you are, you redheaded lecher!

Marisa didn't even look up at him, she just stared at me with a dumbfounded expression that said something like 'holy tits, did that just happen?!' Why, yes, Marisa, it did indeed just happen. I glanced at Sumia and we both fell into some giggles. My gods, I'm sure everyone from our old group of friends is secretly cheering about this! Well, I guess the guys here never really cared about it too much… Whatever, as long as Tethys backs off! Wow, I really need to text everyone about this!

_10 new messages_

What the… Those were some fast replies…

_Micaiah Altina:  
__OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG NO WAY! YOU'RE BEING SERIOUS?! IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING YAAAAY!_

_Mia Trueblade:  
__Why the frick am I NOT THERE TO BE SEEING THIS?! AAAAH! Next group date you go on, I'm coming!_

_Natasha Cleric:  
__That's so sweet :) I can't wait for them to actually start dating._

_Ross Ide:  
__Damn, atta boi Gerik!_

_Nephenee Miller:  
__Oh darn, I was hopin I'd be there to see it happen. I reckon they'll be datin soon enough though, right?_

_Nino Reed:  
__Sidjfjaowefmvsdjfksadfo WHAAAT?! HE KISSED HER LIKE FOR REAL?! Aisdfnjiweofaowef I MISSED IT NOOOOOOO!_

_Leo Fletcher:  
__Nino's screams are hurting my ears… I mean, good for Gerik and Marisa, but did you have to text Nino? Dammit, Rebecca…_

_Edward Trueblade:  
__Siiiiick! Lemme know the deets later, I'm watching a movie right now!_

_Marisa Crimson:  
__I know. Dafuq you text me for?_

_Soren Goldoa-Daein:  
__K._

I'll reply to them all later, well, except for Soren, and I didn't even realize I'd sent that message to Marisa too. I'm sure Sumia's probably texting everyone the exact same thing as me, so replying isn't the most pressing thing to worry about right now. Besides, I'm hoping this is gonna be a more recurring thing! And I also- _mmrmf…_

"I never did get that kiss," Wil chuckled as he pulled away from my face. I gazed at him dreamily and giggled stupidly. Wow, I never knew how amazing surprise kisses could feel…

Everything was going smoothly for the next little while and I couldn't be happier. I mean, it wasn't like I was coming to this thing for a crapton of drama or anything. Yes, I realize that the second genre of this story is drama, but hey, not _everything _needs to be dramatic, right? Besides, Eddie hasn't had much drama compared to me! Honestly, his storyline is something more like romance/sex. Anyway, things didn't really pick up until we were partway through our meals.

"So," I said to Sumia when she had a moment from Chrom, "does Chrom think it's weird that Kris is semi-dating Lucina?"

She glanced at both Chrom and Lucina before turning back to me. "I don't think so. I mean, they're close cousins, but I don't think that it's really the same as if, say, Lissa were dating him."

"I guess."

"Why'd you ask?"

"Oh, well, Dart thinks it's absolutely hilarious that I'm dating Wil, so I wasn't sure how it works for other family members."

She just laughed a bit and turned back to her food. Everything seemed harmless enough until Tethys shrieked. Everyone suddenly turned to see…oh, gods, don't laugh, Rebecca…

"Holy crap, I'm so sorry!" Marisa apologized in a surprisingly genuine manner to her nemesis.

Tethys stood from her seat, the sauce from whatever she had been eating all down her front and her glass of water spilled onto her lap. I don't think anyone saw what happened, but I'm guessing that Marisa tripped as she was passing by, and fell right into the back of Tethys' chair, causing the redhead to fall forward a bit. Everyone was dead silent except for those two.

"You did that on purpose, you bitch!" Whoa, language, Tethys; we're in public.

"No, I swear I tripped! Here, let me help clean-"

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, shoving Marisa back a few steps. "First you steal my date and then you make me look stupid in front of all my friends!"

"Uh, steal your date?!" Marisa snapped back. Yikes, I didn't think things like this actually happened in real life… "I didn't steal anyone; he just likes my company better!"

Boyd, Ike, and Glen each let out a slow 'ooh', earning each of them a slap from their respective dates.

"Likes you better?! Hah! In case you forgot, he came here with me, not you, Miss Homewrecker!"

"Are you kidding me right now?! You're the homewrecker, you prissy little bitch! I've been with him for six years, and you think you can move in and steal him after liking him for, what, a week?!"

By this point, everyone in the whole restaurant had stopped eating to see what was happening. Hell, even a bunch of the staff had grouped over to watch what was going on. They weren't stopping it or anything, and I'm sure that at least one of them is the manager. Gods, that Severa chick is taking a video too!

I glanced at Gerik to see his reaction to all of this. Just as I was expecting, he was bright red in the face, and he looked rather unsure of if he should intervene or let the situation behind him continue on its own. Why are guys so indecisive? Seriously, Gerik, just go break them up and then run off into the sunset with Marisa!

"Oh, you've been with him for six years?! Because last time I checked he was still single, and he was offering to take me out before you!"

"Yeah, I think that's something called pity. He takes me out because he actually enjoys it; with you, sorry, hon, but I don't think it works like that. By the way, I like the way your top looks now; it goes a lot better with your personality: a mess."

_*Slap*_

Every guy in the building let out another slow 'ooh', but the girls didn't smack them this time. I think we were all too stunned by what just happened to know what to do. It was like time froze in that moment, but not in the good way. I tightly gripped onto Wil's hand under the table for fear of what might happen next. Marisa slowly turned back towards Tethys, holding her hand to the cheek that had just been slapped. Tethys looked pretty satisfied with what she had just done, a smug expression on her face.

And then all chaos erupted.

Right in the middle of the restaurant, Marisa slapped her back, and the two suddenly began their frenzy of attacks upon each other. Unsurprisingly, Marisa actually tripped into Tethys at one point, and the two of them ended up rolling around on the ground as they clawed, slapped, and pulled each other's hair. By that point, everyone was standing up from their seats, but still no one did anything. As much as I wanted to run in and pull them apart, I was a little more afraid of getting accidentally pulled into the fray. I looked frantically around the room until finally the managers stopped spectating and actually started heading over.

"Alright, alright, break it up, you two!" said the tan, bald one with scars all over his face. "Hnng, Draug, you gonna help or just stand there lookin' stupid?"

"Hang on a sec, Garret, I'm trying to untangle them from each other," the other manager grunted as he pulled Tethys away.

"Hey, buddy, wanna give me a hand with your, uh, girlfriends?" Garret growled to Gerik. He silently complied and helped pull the resisting Marisa away from Tethys.

When they had finally managed to separate and restrain both girls, all five of them were panting in a somewhat humourous manner. Tethys and Marisa both had extremely disheveled hair and clothes, and it looked as though quite a bit of the mess from Tethys' top had gotten onto Marisa. The entire restaurant was still silent until Draug finally spoke.

"I don't really know what in the gods' names just happened," he said sternly, "but you're all lucky I'm feeling generous today. I won't kick you out, but I swear if anything slightly out of hand comes from this direction again, you're all gone, you hear?"

"Yeah, and you'll be going through me if'n you think you can get past those rules!" Garret added. Honestly, he's already intimidating enough without the threats…

Everyone nodded and took their seats except for Tethys, who rushed off to the washroom to change I'm guessing. I breathed out slowly and released Wil from my crushing grip. Oh if only we could've gone ten seconds without something else happening…

"Yo, what the hell?!" Boyd shouted as he was aggressively pulled away from the table.

"Hmph, Navarre said you were bad news," grunted one of the quiet guys. I think this one was Volke since he has a mouth cover-y thing. When did he get here, anyway?

"What?! I haven't even done anything!"

"If you hadn't come, Feena wouldn't be subject to careful watching from the managers."

"Dude, bug off, this isn't my fault at all! What are you, like, her secret guard force or some shit?!"

"Volke, go away, it's fine," Feena squeaked, but he seemed to ignore her. Once again, I turned to see Draug and Garret sort of watching the situation without actually doing anything.

"Don't test me, fool," he said in the creepy monotone voice of his.

"I'm not! What do you want me to do, leave?!"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not leaving, so you can get outta here. I dunno how long you've been watching us, but I don't really need you to stick around any longer."

"Funny, I was about to say the same to you."

"Tell Navarre that he can pull the stick out of his ass and stop sending his lackeys to tell me what to do!"

"Lackey? I could get you out of here in no time at all if I wanted to."

"Prove it, tough guy!" Dammit, Boyd, I thought you were gonna approach this a little more carefully. I guess it is Boyd we're talking about here, but still…

Of course, taking the challenge, Volke took a step towards Boyd so they were practically nose-to-nose with each other.

"Get outta my face!" Boyd shouted, shoving Volke back. That was exactly enough to provoke fight number two in the diner…

I guess Boyd had prepared for more lightning-quick attacks, because Volke's chop to the burly teen's pressure point missed by a mile. Without missing a beat, Boyd tackled the skinny, quiet guy to the ground and laid some punches to his face. Oddly enough, Volke didn't look at all pained by the wrecking balls that were Boyd's fists. The rugby player flew up into the air for a second as Volke powerfully kicked him upwards and jumped to his feet. The two of them stood and faced each other like they were in some kind of live-action fighting game. Ike, get in there and help him or something! …No, don't start playing the Mortal Kombat theme song from your phone… Gods, guys can be so stupid sometimes!

Okay, I would go on and on about how the fight went so that you guys could enjoy some crazy brawl in the middle of the diner, but I have no idea how I would describe everything that happened. I think I'll just give you some of the highlights. At one point, Boyd threw his chair at Volke but he frontflipped over it. Volke got a strong hit into Boyd's chest which made him fly to the ground, but as he was going down his legs flew up from under him and he ended up sacking Volke really hard. Both of them kinda lay on the ground in extreme pain for a while before they did anything. See, you'd think that would be a good opportunity for Draug and Garret to throw us out, but no, they didn't… I'm still surprised no one called the cops; then again, more people are using their phones to film this than worry about their safety.

Anyway, they brawled for at least a solid ten minutes before anyone did anything. Draug and Garret actually did try to pull them apart at one point, but both got hit in the process, so they waited for another opportunity for the guys to flop on the ground before moving in.

"Okay, all of you, get out, now!" Draug shouted as he dragged Volke out the door behind him. Garret pulled Boyd out a different exit, so we all followed that way, but not before we all left some money on the table. Hey, no point in dine-and-dashing, right?

"You okay, Boyd?" Feena asked once we were all outside. She clung onto his arm and he glanced at her through the eye that hadn't been hit and blackened.

"Heh, I think I'll be okay. Maybe you should tell Navarre to lay off," he chuckled in an oddly lighthearted manner, though he did spit some blood off to the side of the road.

"Heehee, yeah, I'll yell at him next time he's over, which'll probably be later tonight."

Despite everything that had just gone down, we all talked and laughed as if nothing odd had happened as we walked. It didn't really seem that we had a particular destination, but our group travelled around together for a while before people began splitting off.

"So," I began when Wil and I made our way towards our neighbourhood, "is this the kind of thing that normally happens with your friends?"

"Hey, I'm pretty sure most of this was invoked by _your_ friends," he chuckled.

"Haha, yeah, but I'm pretty sure nothing like that has ever happened when I've been out with them. I guess you popular kids are just too drama-centric."

"Well then you should be glad that you got me instead of any one of them," he laughed, pulling me towards him. "I'm the least prone to drama."

"Heehee, more like you're the most boring!"

"Think what you want, but you'll be thankful that I never get in any crazy arguments!"

I laughed a bit, but my laughter quelled when a sudden though crossed my mind. I wasn't even planning on saying it aloud, but it just sort of slipped out as we got closer to our street.

"What about Eddie?"

"What was that?" he asked.

"Well, you said you never get in crazy arguments," I spoke hesitantly, now fully aware of what I had begun, "but you and Eddie…well, I mean, you got a little out of hand today at lunch…"

I braced myself for him to get angry. I know Wil isn't the type to yell at me over something like that, but I prepared for him to take on some kind of stern, questioning tone. Instead, he stopped walking and pulled me into a tight hug. I was…taken by surprise at his sudden motion, but returned the embrace with ease.

"I'm sorry if you worry about how this'll affect your relationship with him," he sighed in a sincere manner. "I know that he and I don't really get along, but I don't want it to hurt you in the process. You know I really care about you, don't you, Rebecca?" he asked, tilting my chin up.

"Mhm," I said quietly, gazing into his dark brown eyes.

"Then just remember that everything I do, I do for you."

"Heehee, that was cheesy," I giggled, regardless of how adorable I thought it made him sound.

"Heh, it was kind of. Seems weird to say something like that after only a week of dating. Let me rephrase; I'll do whatever it takes to keep you happy. I would never want to hurt you because of my own squabbles with one of your closest friends. Better?"

"Better," I said dreamily, pulling him down to kiss me on the lips. I smiled to him as we pulled apart and we continued walking down the street hand-in-hand.

"So we're good for Friday?" he asked once we'd reached my doorstep.

"Yep, I don't have anything else planned," I said cheerfully.

"Great, I, uh, guess I'll see you then! Well, and tomorrow at school," he chuckled and pulled me into another kiss.

"Gross, get a room! Actually, don't; I don't wanna hear that shit," a voice laughed from behind me as the door swung open. "Okay, you're done kissing, now scram, Little Willy!"

I sighed, but Wil just chuckled and ran off, waving to me as he left for his house. I turned around annoyed to see Dart with only a towel wrapped around his waist (well, he had his bandana on too, but he always does). Grimacing slightly at the sight of Kleine lying on the couch in only her panties and one of Dart's shirts, I quickly ran upstairs and closed the door behind me. Ew, I guess he's trying to make the most of our parents being gone…

I spent the rest of the night not doing homework and trying to explain to everyone what happened on the date from today. Well, everyone except for Leo, Nino, and Eddie since they weren't replying to me. Maybe they all went out somewhere together too. Whatever, they'll hear about it some other time. I have more important things to worry about than what they're up to, like my Friday night date with Wil!

Now, as long as it isn't awkward, tense, or as generally odd as this foreboding last sentence is making it seem like it might be, then everything will be simply perfect.

* * *

It's funny how at the beginning I wrote about how hot my room was when I started this because I'm now finishing it and my room is freezing cold from all the rainy weather we've been getting… Gotta love Vancouver's bipolar weather.

To be honest, I only semi-liked how this chapter went. My original hope was that it would be able to stand up to the beach chapters, but I think I failed in that respect (probably because it was easier to do things when everyone was drinking as well :P). It also ended up being quite a bit shorter than I'd hoped because I was running out of ideas for things to happen. I'm hoping that the next couple chapters will be a little more interesting because the next one is the park date with Eddie, and I'm sure many of you can guess what's going to happen on the Friday one. If not, well, I won't give it away ;)

Thanks for reviewing!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Haha, you review so quickly after I post a chapter, it's ridiculous! And for whatever reason, I'm now anticipating an AU from you! I have yet to check out _The Swordmaster_, so I still don't really know your writing style, but if you include things like those Glen jokes in an AU, I think you'll do just fine. That writers right thing though…just gonna be blunt, it was bad :). Oh, and sorry for not replying to your PM! I always check them but forget to reply… DW was crazy sick! I don't know where you're from, but if it ever comes to your area, GO TO IT! Next time they come here, I'm gonna insta-buy tickets, and I'd even be willing to pay the $150 VIP ones to meet Uematsu! I would've for this time but he didn't come :(

**Bearclaw13: **Nino kidnapped, huh? Can't say that's an idea that crossed my mind. It might be a little dark for this story though, so it would probably be a better idea for me to save for a different fic! I'm still playing through some scenarios of side stories for Eddie, so don't worry about there not being anything yet! Also, I'm glad you liked my little penguinship :P

**Nocturnea: **I'm glad you're enjoying it! I think I touched on everything in my PM to you. Heehee, I won't bother explaining the things more if you didn't understand, but maybe if you look at it from a…_dirtier_ perspective, they might start to piece together a little more clearly ;)

**BritRecon: **It always makes me smile when I see how much depth analysis you go into when reviewing my stories. Like, this would usually be where I say something like "L'Arachel has some more character behind her, but it probably isn't as much as you're thinking it is", but you always seem to be able to flesh things out that I don't even notice when I'm writing! Whether that makes me unintentionally skilled or stupidly lucky is up to you, I guess :P

Btw, the poll has reached a conclusive standpoint! This story will remain rated T! This is mainly due to the fact that I got more 'No's than 'Yes's, but also because I never really thought it deserved an M rating in the first place.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I have anything else to say. Oh, random, but if you have something like $20 to spare on your 3DS (I'm assuming you all have one because Awakening), and you like rhythm games, go to the eShop and buy HarmoKnight! It's made by GameFreak (the pokemon people) and I honestly love it so much :P. Funny story, cool characters, and general overall greatness!

So, yeah, please review and check out my soundcloud! (I'll have a new song posted sometime soonish)

_-GengaJupite_


	13. A Whole New Person

Nice, three days off work because there's too much rain! Heh, all I've really been doing these past few days is watching Hayao Miyazaki films. I'd hardly consider myself anything of an anime fan, but Miyazaki's films have a special place in my heart. _Spirited Away_ will probably always be my favourite, but _Howl's Moving Castle_ is a close second. Oddly enough, my favourite character has got to be Fio from _Porco Rosso_. No idea why, she's just so darn lovable :).

I'm considering rewriting chapter twelve at some point because going back and reading it over a few times made me realize just how crappy it was. I probably should have planned it out better, but I was trying to meet the deadline. I think from now on I'll be posting chapters once I'm sure I'm okay with them; after all, quality over quantity, and it seems clear to me that there were quite a few people who had at least one thing they didn't like about that last chapter. Unfortunately that might put me behind schedule, but I'd rather not have to go back and rewrite a bunch of unsatisfactory chapters (mostly because I'm lazy and will probably forget about it).

There are a few things I'd like to address before I start this chapter. First, I'll be going back and rewording some sections (particularly when Eddie says something about getting raped), as people have expressed concern. While this was never meant to be construed in the actual manner of harassment, I can understand how it's been seen as offensive and distasteful, so I will spend some time scouring through old chapters to change anything like that. I'll also be toning down L'Arachel to an extent where it doesn't appear as though she's harassing Eddie (there will still be teasing and such, just probably not as much…attacking).

Off the top of my head, I can't recall if there's anything else I'll be changing, but I know the way in which I'll be writing from now on. To **Serious Bananas, Darros, **and **Korean Boron-Paper Stars**, though I'm not sure you'll actually see this message since I doubt you'll read this any longer, I am humbled by your criticisms. While I was initially a bit disheartened by the comments, it has made me more aware that not everyone will like everything I write; that's just the way things are. This story can only be changed so much at this point without rewriting the entire thing, but I will keep in mind your advice for future stories of mine. Hopefully things have been cleared up between us and we can all go on with our lives.

Well, that's enough talking! Review responses are at the bottom (except for those three^).

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_A Whole New Person  
__(Eddie)_

"So, did they say where we're supposed to meet them?" L'Arachel asked, taking my hand. I felt all the muscles in that arm tense up as she did so; I definitely didn't expect her to do that.

"I, uh, think they're gonna meet us by the pond," I stuttered, motioning in the direction of the small body of water a short distance away. "What about Mark and Serra?"

"Mm, they're around somewhere," she said, shrugging. "She'll let me know when she wants to meet up with us."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about this, but doesn't L'Arachel seem awfully…I dunno, calm? I mean, sure, she usually lets up on her advances on me when we're in public, but usually it's just avoiding all the touching and whatnot. I guess she can't always be sexual; I just thought that it seemed somewhat uncharacteristic of her. Then again, I had seen that other side to her that first night I stayed at her place. Funny how that almost feels so long ago.

"Eddie! Over here!" Leo's voice resonated from up ahead, breaking me from my thought bubble. I looked up to see him and Nino waving over to us.

"Let's go!" L'Arachel said happily, walking at a brisker pace. I couldn't help but blush a bit at the realization that she was still holding my hand.

"Hey, guys!" Nino greeted as we got closer. "Guess what; we saw Mark here a little while ago!"

"Heh, yeah, he's supposed to be here with Serra," I chuckled as Leo quelled Nino's unwarranted enthusiasm a bit.

Leo glanced over to L'Arachel and I, and a smirk instantly came over his face when he noticed our entwined hands. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I just smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of my head. I could already tell that he'd wanna talk about this. He can really be such a chick sometimes; he really does love to get in on gossip despite being the 'reserved' one.

The four of us started making our way around the path that circled around the whole park. I don't think any of us really planned out something to do here. Other than a couple food stands, it really doesn't have much other than the walking path that takes you around the area. Either way, I guess it doesn't matter. I was surprised to see Nino and L'Arachel actually spark up a conversation and walk ahead of Leo and I. Nino does seem to be able to make friends with pretty much everyone, so I guess it isn't too surprising; more of an unexpected situation.

"So, Eddie," Leo said once the girls were far enough ahead of us that they wouldn't be able to hear, "what's the, ah, deal with you and L'Arachel?"

"Hm? Is this 'cause we were holding hands?" I asked, looking to my hand as if that would make the question clearer. It didn't, but…it's just something I did, okay?

"Well, yeah," he answered flatly. "I mean, I knew you guys were, like, semi-dating sort of, but I didn't know it had gotten past that yet."

I turned away from him to look up to the two green-haired girls ahead and smiled. "It's funny, I didn't think it had gone past that, but, believe it or not, _she_ was actually the one who grabbed my hand."

"Why should that be so hard to believe? From what I've heard from you, she _does_ seem to be the more handsy one…"

"True that," I agreed. "I just figured that she wasn't so handsy in the way of, well, regular relationship-y stuff."

"People aren't always so two-dimensional, Eddie," he spoke wisely. Honestly, Leo is quite a bit smarter than I think he lets on; that or I just don't usually see him that way…probably the latter. "She's probably just as mushy as any girl is, regardless of her antics."

"…Okay, um…" I paused, not quite sure what he was trying to get at. "Is there…more to what you're telling me, sensei?" I teased.

"Well, from what it sounds like," he answered, ignoring my quip, "you don't actually know much about her. Seriously, you've been living with her for almost a week and you haven't even just talked about her with her?"

I stopped to think about it for a second. Had we really just been doing… I'm not even sure what L'Arachel and I had been doing, to be honest. For the most part we were just goofing around and doing what you'd expect people our age to be doing. Most of our conversations were just in-the-moment sorts of things, so I don't think either of us had really learned much about each other's lives. Damn, Leo's on top of his game.

"That sounds like chick stuff," I said, betraying my thoughts. "Why would I sit around and talk about feelings and stuff with her?"

"You blockhead," Leo sighed, shoving my head to the side whilst I ignored his stolen quote from Charlie Brown. "You aren't just talking about "feelings and stuff" with her; you're learning about each other. You can't just date someone blindly, stupid, you have to get to know her on more than a surface level!"

"Hey, I knew that already!"

"Could've fooled me."

Before you get the wrong idea, Leo and I argue like this quite a bit; it's just how our friendship has worked ever since we were kids. It's actually good this way because on the very rare occasions that we get into real arguments and fights, it's quite a bit easier to make up and brush it off like nothing.

Going back to our conversation, though, I really was planning on getting to know L'Arachel a little better. It wasn't quite in the way that I think Leo wants me to, but I don't think it really matters how I choose to do it. In fact, I was actually planning on doing it tonight since I wanted to make sure that I knew more about her before our real date on Friday.

"Looks like you've got a plan," Leo chuckled when I hadn't responded to him.

"Sorta," I said offhandedly, shrugging and looking ahead. "I mean, how hard can it be to just…talk?"

"Mm, sometimes it's a little more difficult than you might expect. Oh, random thought, but I think now might be a good time to let you know before we catch up to Nino and L'Arachel."

"What is it?"

"Heh, I was talking to Marisa yesterday and for some reason she kept going on about how you and Rebecca would make a cute couple."

I breathed in sharply, not so much over the randomness of the comment, but more because of what the actual comment had been. It was like at the beach when Leo was drunk and said that I should hook up with her, which I still haven't reminded him about.

"Uh… Why'd you want to let me know about that?" I asked, as it occurred to me that there should have been a reason behind him wanting to let me know. "I mean, Bec and I… Honestly, where do people come up with these things?"

"No idea," he chuckled, though I smirked at the hidden irony in his comment. "I told you because she kept asking me what I thought about it. I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind in the past, but ever since Rebecca started seeing Wil and you started seeing L'Arachel I haven't really given it any attention."

"Well, what'd you end up telling her?"

He shrugged and kicked a twig in front of him. "I pretty much said that; that I hadn't really given it much attention. I did add that I could see it happening, though."

"What?!" I sputtered incredulously. "Dude, that's like saying I could picture _you_ with her!"

Again, he shrugged as if the thought didn't faze him in the slightest. "Fair enough, but, see, we're still young, Eddie. I don't know about you, but my head sometimes fills with the most random pairings you could ever imagine." I didn't say anything, but I definitely knew what he was talking about. "Anyway, don't let it bother you, I'm not trying to ruin you and L'Arachel or anything, just thought it was a funny little thing I'd share with you."

We caught up to the girls and continued walking down the path, talking about pretty much anything that came to mind. All the while, I kept taking notice of L'Arachel's actions, or rather her lack thereof. She seemed somewhat subdued, but kept up with the conversation in a regular manner. Had that kiss I gave her in the car made her more…restrained? Perhaps this is what Leo had meant when he said I should get to know her better. It seems oddly coincidental that she would start acting different the moment he tells me that I don't know much about her, but that's not really the point.

We bumped into Mark and Serra sometime before 8:00. At first it was a little awkward, though I thought it was funny, because we happened to see them when they were having something of a little moment, but they didn't seem to mind too much. Besides, they had their chance for another moment, and I'm about to explain it right now.

The sun was just about to fall behind the horizon, so the six of us decided to sit on a grassy patch away from the trees so we could see it. While we were still in each other's immediate surroundings, we paired off into our respective couplings. I wasn't paying much attention to what the others were doing, as I was more focused on L'Arachel lying back against me. I mean, I'm not much of a romantic person, but the way everything was playing out made me realize just how much I wanted to know and understand this girl I'd found myself in a semi-relationship with.

"Eddie," she said softly, shifting herself so she could look up at me.

"Mm?"

"Um, I was wondering…well, what do you think of me?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, giving her a look of true unknowing. "You already know that I like you quite a bit."

"I know, but I mean, like, what sort of…person do you take me for?"

Was this why she'd been so calm? Maybe that kiss really did have something to do with it. I'm not sure if I'm reading into this too much, but maybe she thought that if she kept acting all flirty and stuff, I'd think of her as non-committal. To be honest, I didn't really think she was the type for long-lasting relationships, but perhaps this is what she's trying to get at. But had me kissing her really given her the idea that I wasn't just playing around before? I guess the first step to finding out would be to answer her question.

"It's funny," I said, looking back out to the sunset, "I was under the impression that I knew you because you always tended to act the same way around me. Now that we're out here, though, you seem like a whole different person. Other than that first night I stayed at your house I've really only seen the flirty side to you until this past hour."

"Is that…what you think of me then?" she asked a bit sadly, dropping her gaze. "Do I really come off as just a flirt?"

"Well, like I said, you don't seem like that at all right now," I reassured, lifting her chin up to look at me again. "And to be honest, I always thought there had to be more to you than just teasing me, but I never really got the opportunity to see it. It doesn't matter, though; you should know that I like you the way you are, flirty or not."

She didn't say anything, but gave me a pretty smile; one that I could see was genuinely pure and unlike all her flirtatious smirks. I returned it with…well, I assume mine wasn't nearly as nice as hers, but I smiled back in the best way I could. I think I might have forced it too much, because she giggled before turning back to the horizon and leaning on me again.

It's strange, but I don't think I've seen more than two or three sunsets in my life. They were never anything worth troubling myself over, despite how much I liked the few I had seen. I think what I like most about them is the way the distant yellow sun sort of melts into red and then into purple. I can understand why romantics would enjoy sunsets for their settings, since the way that the colours all sort of blend together does make for a pretty sight. Being here with L'Arachel only makes it better.

As much as it may seem like I'm building this up to some spectacular moment of fluffiness and whatnot with L'Arachel, I'm gonna be honest, nothing really happened during the sunset. We basically just watched it sink behind the horizon and stayed in our spot for a little while longer before strolling around a bit as a group again. As we were walking, L'Arachel and Serra wandered ahead of the rest of us, so the four of us got a chance to chat about stuff like how Gerik supposedly kissed Marisa. To be honest, I was still curious about how Boyd was holding up with Navarre; I mean, I was right next to him at the beach, so it makes me wonder how the quiet guys feel about him and Feena. Maybe I'll ask L'Arachel about it if I get the chance.

"So, when are you guys gonna be official, Eddie?" Mark asked, glancing at me. "Unless… You aren't already, are you?"

"Nah," I shook my head in response. "I dunno, hopefully soon, though. I want to ask her, but even thinking about it gives me shivers."

"Yeah, I get you," Mark chuckled. "Leo, Nino, what about you?"

"Hm?" Nino perked up when she heard her name. Leo slunk back a bit, probably out of embarrassment.

"Are you and Leo, y'know, dating?"

She giggled in response, pulling Leo up beside her. Just as expected, he seemed pretty shy about the whole thing and Nino playfully bugged him.

"Well, that depends if Leo plans on making a move anytime soon," she responded to Mark.

Leo seemed to be getting more uncomfortable by the second, and the three of us just laughed at him. We all know they're going to end up together, so I feel no guilt in poking fun at him. I mean, why would Nino ever say no to him? He's just being a wimp about it.

"Hey, I could say the same to you, Mark," Leo grumbled, turning to said person.

"Oh, yeah? Let's hear it then," Mark challenged.

"Since when did you and Serra become a thing?" Leo asked, his confidence somewhat returning, though his face still remained ridiculously red.

"Serra and I?" Mark repeated. "Oh, we're not together," he said plainly. "We're sort of on a date right now, but I'd say it's in between hanging out as friends and a date, if you get what I mean. I'm not really looking to get tied down anytime soon, so I doubt anything's gonna happen between us."

"And you think she'll be okay with that?" I asked; after all, she _did_ blackmail me into getting him to ask her out. Luckily for me, it didn't matter if I got him to or not, and he happened to do it himself, anyway.

"Beats me," he said, shrugging it off. "This is really only the first time we've gone out, and I didn't think of it as a semi-date until we were all watching the sunset."

Huh, I guess they weren't actually having a moment when we bumped into them. I didn't really see what it was they were doing, so I would assume they were just talking, though I must say they were standing pretty close to each other. Sucks for Serra if she's looking for something more out of this thing she's doing with Mark. Ah, well, I suppose it isn't my problem.

"Eddie," I heard L'Arachel's voice say from up ahead. Looking forward, she and Serra had stopped to let us catch up. "It's getting a little chilly; do you wanna head back?"

"Sure, there isn't much left to do out here, anyway," I said, glancing around at everyone.

Saying goodbye to the others, the two of us made our way towards the parking lot. I still couldn't help thinking that L'Arachel seemed awfully quiet and reserved compared to her normal self. It isn't that she seemed upset or anything like that, I just thought she might be a bit more...talkative. Was she still concerned about what I thought of her? That reminds me, I never took Leo's advice and found out more about her.

"Something on your mind?" I asked once we had pulled out of the lot. "You've been pretty quiet."

"I've just been thinking," she said, gazing out the window.

"That doesn't seem like you," I joked, though she only let out a single breathy chuckle. "Come on, you know you can tell me."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just…after you kissed me, I started wondering if…if maybe I had been giving you all the wrong signs or something."

"Wrong signs?" I stole a glance to see that she still hadn't changed position. "Um, should I have not kissed you? We can pretend it didn't happen."

"No, it's not like that. It's more like…well, I know how I act around you, Edward. You're probably one of the more resilient people I know for always putting up with the way I tease you and stuff. I do like you, don't get me wrong, I just didn't realize how serious we were being until you kissed me earlier."

I could feel my cheeks heat up a bit, not so much from embarrassment as plain sheepishness. "Heh, uh, this sounds more like it's my fault for kissing you."

"No, no, this is all coming out wrong, then," she said, shaking her head and turning to face me. "I'm happy that we kissed, thrilled even. It just made me realize that I probably haven't been treating you all that well. You're probably sick of me, aren't you?"

Stopping at the red light, I took that moment to turn and look her in the eye. Her face showed no sadness, but more of something like guilt. I did my best to reassure her with a smile, since I couldn't exactly hug her or anything at the moment.

"Do you really think I'd still be around if I was sick of you?" I asked her in a calming manner. "If I was getting _that_ annoyed, I probably would've just driven home."

"But you _were_ getting annoyed…"

"Well, if we're being completely honest here, then I'll admit that some of it was starting to get a bit old, but it was never anything I couldn't handle."

"I made you get in a bathtub with me…"

"Actually, I did that of my own accord, though I'm still questioning why I did so," I chuckled, thankfully earning a shaky smile from her. "And I think you're missing the point here. See, L'Arachel, you're concerned that you haven't treated me properly, but I still kissed you. Do you think I would've done that if I felt mistreated?"

"Um, probably not," she mumbled, biting her lip.

"Sure, sometimes you go a bit overboard," I continued, "but, like I said earlier, I like you because you're you, flirty or not. I mean, I wouldn't mind doing without the relentless sex attacks, but I've been okay with them so far, haven't I? It's not like it's the worst thing in the world to have an attractive girl trying to take your clothes off."

I smiled when that last comment made her giggle. There really aren't many better feelings than cheering someone up, especially if you care about that person quite a bit. Yeah, yeah, I'm getting all sappy on you; deal with it. As I pulled in front of her driveway and stopped to let the gate open, I felt a soft peck on my cheek. Blushing slightly, I turned to see her looking back at me with the same genuine smile she had given me when we watched the sunset.

"You're a good guy, Eddie," she said softly. "I never really took you for the kind of guy to know just the right things to say."

"Heh, don't get used to it," I chuckled. "I'm usually not."

After parking the car, L'Arachel opened the front door since Dozla had apparently already left. We both made our way upstairs to our own rooms, which I thought was a bit odd because she usually liked to get right to business as soon as we got home. Then again, with the way she's been acting tonight, I suppose it isn't all that strange that she didn't this time. Shutting the door, I flicked on the lights and flopped onto the bed. It's nice to have some time to think to myself.

There's really so much I don't know about L'Arachel. I'm sure that by tomorrow or sometime soon she'll be back to her usual self, but I've just been realizing that I might not have known her as well as I thought. Was it really so concerning how she had been acting before. I doubt many guys my age have dealt with someone like her before, and yet she changed so quickly when she understood how much I really like her. I don't mind that she's calmed down, but it's just…odd. I wish girls were less complicated; life would be so much easier if they were.

A knock from the bathroom door caught my attention. Heh, that sounds a little weirder than the situation actually calls for. I was actually a little more surprised that she didn't just come in like she usually does.

"Uh, come in," I called, sitting up.

L'Arachel sauntered into the room in some pajama pants and a bathrobe. Confused, I glanced at the clock to see that it was only about 9:15.

"You going to bed early?" I asked as she stepped towards me.

"No, these clothes are just super comfy," she said with a hint of playfulness. Unexpectedly, she grabbed my hand and pulled me up before adding, "And they're warm enough for going outside."

"Going…outside?"

"Yeah, it's a perfect night for stargazing."

We walked out onto the balcony outside her room and took the elevator down to the patio below. A couple cushioned deck chairs and a big, fuzzy blanket were waiting for us when we stepped out of the elevator. She must have done this while I was just lying on the bed, thinking to myself. Letting go of my hand, she quickly made her way over and wrapped herself in the blanket. The sight of her wrapped up like a cocoon with her head poking out made me chuckle.

I sprawled out on the chair beside her, and she tossed the blanket over the two of us. Normally I would have entered panic mode at that gesture, but I don't think she's planning on doing anything dirty. If she does, well, then it's my fault for leaving myself open to it.

She was right when she said that it was a perfect night for stargazing. There had to be a million twinkling lights above us. It looked like one of those paintings of starlit skies, or one of those overly space-like CGI renditions of starry nights; the ones with all the cosmos and galaxies just sort of swirling around up there. Hopefully I'm making sense here, it's hard to describe.

"This week's gone by fast," I breathed out, keeping my eyes fixated on the sky.

"It's only Wednesday, Eddie," she responded. "Only half the week has gone by."

"Yeah, but I'm only here until Saturday. It'll feel strange going home after spending so much time here."

"You're right," she said after a moment's silence. "I'd gotten used to having you around."

"Heh, believe it or not, I was actually starting to get used to you tormenting me all the time," I chuckled, turning to look at her. "But it looks like you don't want to tease me anymore, so I guess I win."

"Heehee, win? Since when was this a competition?" she giggled, sidling up closer to me.

"It was more of an internal one," I admitted. "I was trying to see if I could outlast all of your sexual antics for the whole week, and it looks like I've already beaten you."

"Mm, maybe just for tonight," she said flirtatiously. Ah, there's the L'Arachel we know and love. "You've earned a break, and I don't want you to just think of me as the girl who pushes all your buttons."

I paused for a moment before building up the nerve to ask her something in response. "What do you want me to think of you as?"

"Hm? Shouldn't that be something you determine for yourself?"

"Well, I already have my impression of you, but it's kind of like… How should I put this… I don't really know if I know enough about you to form a…correct impression. Does that make sense?"

"Mhm," she sighed, resting her head against my shoulder. "Let's see, what do you want to know about me?"

Countless things raced through my head as I contemplated what to ask her about. What does she do on her spare time? How many guys has she dated before? Did she really get with Vaike? Gross, I don't think I want to know that last one.

"Um, I guess, did you always act all sexy and stuff with guys you've liked in the past, the same way you do with me?" I asked, thinking it harmless enough before quickly adding, "Don't go in detail if you did, though."

She giggled a bit at the last part, and hummed a bit before answering me. "Not all of them, no. Sometimes it was more like the way I was with Rennac," she grimaced, causing me to chuckle. "He was probably the only one who didn't like me back, and I'm glad he didn't. The others, well, I did sort of do the same things with them, but let's just say they weren't quite as…reluctant as you are."

"…Well, that's borderline TMI," I laughed, wrapping my arm around her. "Is it such a bad thing that I'm so innocent?"

"No," she chuckled, shaking her head. "If anything, it makes you cuter. I like that you aren't so ready to rip your pants off. Gives me hope for the guys of our generation."

"Heh, I think you've just been hanging out with all the wrong guys, then. Most of the guys I know aren't quite so eager to get it done the moment a girl shows some interest."

"I think it's just a difference in the groups we hang out in," she hummed, turning slightly to face me. "Sex isn't really a big deal in our group. I mean, obviously you still only do it with someone you like, but it's sort of just, like…something to do."

"That's…not quite as special as I imagined," I mused, thinking of how the first time was supposed to be something great and unforgettable. "I mean, I can imagine how it would be kind of whatever after the first time, but isn't that first time supposed to be quite the experience?"

She didn't say anything for a moment, and at first I thought she'd fallen asleep. I glanced down to see that her eyes were open, so I patiently waited for her response. She seemed to have to think it over for some time, probably because it's somewhat of a touchy subject.

"Just don't waste it, Eddie," she said quietly. "It really should be a special thing."

I didn't question her any further on the subject. I didn't want to get too personal with her past experiences, so it would be best not to find out any more than what I'd already discovered. I added it to my mental list of things not to ask L'Arachel about, right next to whatever happened to her parents. Having those two things next to each other is rather awkward…

"So," I started after an extended silence, "what is it that your uncle does again? I mean, it must've been pretty cool growing up here as a six-year-old kid, right?"

She chuckled lightly against me, her gaze focused on the stars once more. "He's a big corporate leader for public architecture and stuff. He's particularly well-known for his work in churches."

"Whoa, so he designs all the crazy glass windows and statues and stuff that go in them?"

"Most of them," she stated nonchalantly. "It's just strange that he's not home very often. I mean, he bought this huge estate, but more often than not he's working."

Was I getting somewhere with this? I feel like something of a psychiatrist, listening to my patient talk to me about the troubles of her past. All I needed to do for that to happen would be to get a clipboard and maybe not lie on the chair with her… Oh, and I'd have to cross one leg over in that way that I still don't understand how guys manage to do.

Anyway, the point was that I might actually be learning something more about her from this. She grew up without parents, and from the sounds of it, her uncle couldn't always be there for her. I remember her saying that he did raise her spectacularly so when he was around, but now I'm finding out that that wasn't very often. I guess that would make Dozla her main caretaker, and knowing how laid back he is about, well, everything, this seems to explain quite a bit about her personality.

"That must've been rough," I said. "I can't begin to think what it would have been like to grow up without a father figure."

"I had Dozla when my uncle wasn't around."

"He spoils you rotten, you know that," I jeered.

"Heehee, yeah, he kind of does," she giggled. "Anyway, I never really thought it was weird to grow up like that. As a kid, most of my friends around here had lost a parent, so we all knew what it was like to mourn over them. The only difference between me and them was that I probably didn't receive as much familial affection as they did."

"You make it sound like it's a small thing."

"That's what she said!"

I chuckled a bit, but knew that it wasn't the time for her to be joking. I know I can't possibly relate to her upbringing, but it just seems strange to treat an affectionate family like something optional. It doesn't sound like she ever had to vie for her uncle or Dozla's attention, but just the fact that there wasn't always someone around for her… It's saddening to think about.

"Eddie? Are you okay?" she asked, taking note of the frown on my face when I hadn't said anything.

"It's just strange to think that your life's been so hard, yet to you it seems normal. I can't even begin to think what I'd be like had our lives been switched around. To tell the truth, I probably would've ended up being a recluse, but you did the exact opposite and became one of the most popular girls at our school!"

"Heehee, it's so like you to worry about me like that," she laughed, forcing me to look down at her again. "I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've wondered what my life would have been like if everything had been normal, but it's all in the past now. I've learned to look back without wondering what could have been, because it doesn't matter anymore. All I can do now is look forward to what is and what will be."

I was slightly stunned by the nature of her comment, and a warm smile formed itself on my face. "That was oddly philosophical of you," I chuckled.

"I'm smarter than you think, Eddie."

"Oh, yeah? I think your school grades would disagree," I laughed.

"Hey! School is boring, but I could do better if I tried harder!"

That sounds like your typical popular kid logic. I never understood why it was considered uncool to be smart, but I guess I was never in the cool kid crowd to understand it firsthand. I always just did my best because, well, where was I gonna go in life if I only half-assed everything? I bet most of the populars are smarter than they let on.

"We should probably go back in," L'Arachel said after a while. "It's probably late."

I hadn't even thought about it, but we had been out here for quite some time. I didn't have my phone on me, so I couldn't check the time; I'm guessing it's close to 11:30 though. Not ridiculously late, but I like actually being awake at school. Standing up together so that we could both stay huddled under the blanket, we made our way to the elevator and up to L'Arachel's balcony.

"Eddie, you don't mind if…if I sleep in your bed tonight do you?"

"Huh? Since when are you the type to ask me if it's alright?" I laughed, seeing as I'd woken up with her beside me a few times already. "And you aren't planning anything funny, are you?"

"Nope! I told you before that I'm giving you a break for tonight!"

"Does that include tomorrow morning?"

"Hah, you worry too much. Besides, I'm trying to be more than just the flirty girl, remember?"

"Well, you're doing spectacularly so far, but I dunno how long you're gonna be able to keep it up with my 130 lbs. of pure, scrawny man right here."

Both giggling a bit, we shuffled inside and made our way to the guest room on the other side of the bathroom (after brushing our teeth, of course). It wasn't extremely cold out or anything, so we dropped the fuzzy blanket next to the bed and crawled under the sheets together. She wiggled her body towards me, and I gladly wrapped my arms around her as she fell asleep.

I stayed awake for some time as we lied there. All I could think about was how much I'd learned about her tonight. To think that I really only asked her about two questions, and I'd pretty much gotten a backstory for most of her life. It was strange to think that she'd turned out…well, I don't want to say normal, but not reclusive and quiet. I can't say that any of the stuff I'd discovered tonight would help me on our date, but it certainly was an eye-opener.

Kissing the back of her head, I closed my eyes and let my consciousness fade. Even the most predictable people can surprise you, and no truer words could be spoken about L'Arachel.

* * *

Man, I got so stuck in the middle of this chapter. Apparently I'm terrible at writing dates, so maybe I won't write so many after the Friday one. I mean, I felt good with how the chapter was going after they left the park, but other than Leo's conversation with Eddie, I wasn't really feeling the date at all. I know I said that I wasn't going to post chapters until I was fully happy with them, but I seriously revised it so many times, you have no idea.

Anyway, the change in L'Arachel is partially to do with what the critics were saying, but I was also planning on making her like this anyway. Like I said, the teasing and such won't end now that she's calmed her personality, it's just going to be toned down.

Not sure what else to say, so thanks to my reviewers!

**Gingalain: **Great to see that you're enjoying the fic! Humour isn't actually one of the things I consider myself to be proficient at, so it's nice when people respond to my attempts :). I typically write more serious stuff too, usually with little bits of humour added here and there, so this is pretty experimental for me.

**BritRecon: **Hopefully I didn't disappoint you by making Eddie not suffer :P. I'm pleasantly surprised that you enjoyed chapter twelve, since I thought it was pretty awful. Either way, I'm sure you won't mind if I go back and revise it a bit to make it flow better. The quiet people are some of my favourites to write for two reasons: 1) Because they're funny to stick in sections with talkative people and 2) because they don't say much, so their dialogue is super easy to keep in character :)

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **I assume you refer to the Boyd-Volke fight, yes? Because the idea was that the Tethys-Marisa one was foreseeable. It was a little to spur-of-the-moment for my liking, so I might go back and make it more natural (or at least make it work into the chapter better).

**Bearclaw13: **I hear ya on the Boyd-Volke fight. Honestly, and I've said this multiple times now, I think chapter twelve was abhorrent, so it's likely that I'll go back and rewrite it if I'm not too lazy. Which FEs have you played, by the way? You made it sound like you haven't actually played many.

**Fire Miner: **Yeah, the lack of focus was just one of many things I didn't like about chapter twelve. I'm gonna try not to write anything as truly abysmal as that one again.

**Foretoldlegends: **Heh, to be honest, I've never actually gone on a group date _that_ huge before. I think the biggest one I've ever gone on was maybe ten people, and there seemed to be enough stuff going on that I figured, hey, even more people = more drama.

Wow, if I get any more chapters with this many reviews, I may just have to start responding like a normal person through PM. It's funny that the chapter I consider to be my worst got the most reviews though. Regardless, I'm just happy people are reviewing, and hopefully it'll stay this way!

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	14. High School Romances

Yikes, I'm a little behind schedule (which is weird because I got chapter thirteen up ahead of schedule). This past week I've been caught up with a lot of stuff, so it was hard to get a lot of writing in; I mean, can you blame me what with E3 going on?! I was a little disappointed not to see anything about the FE/SMT crossover, but I almost stood up and cheered at work from the footage of Final Fantasy XV (formerly versus XIII), Kingdom Hearts III, Super Smash Bros. 4, X by Monolithsoft, and probably more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Smash Bros. related, I know Villager, Wii Fit lady, and Mega Man were shown, but I'd really like to see Shulk (Xenoblade), Isaac (Golden Sun), and Magnus/Pyrrhon/Viridi (Kid Icarus Uprising) as newcomers, with Demise replacing Ganondorf, Chrom replacing Ike, and Lucina either replacing Marth or having some kinda move that lets the two of them switch back and forth kind of like Zelda-Sheik. But that's just me; whom do you guys wanna see in Smash 4?

Anyway, on top of E3, I've also been spending a lot of time working, going to end of year performances for friends and family, playing Ni No Kuni, composing songs, and watching anime movies (which I still wouldn't consider myself a fan of since I haven't really enjoyed much non-Ghibli stuff to a big extent). However, I am somewhat inspired to write a one/two/threeshot of something similar to the narrative presented in _5 Centimeters Per Second_; I just don't know what fandom to choose. Unfortunately, the topics I'm thinking won't work for FE, so it's either gonna be KH or GS. I could do both, but if you've seen the film, you can probably agree that I can only handle something that poetic once.

…I guess I should include that I've been somewhat losing inspiration for this as well… I don't plan on discontinuing it, but, if you've read any of my other work, you'll know that this has been very experimental for me, and it's hard to keep up with it. The idea when I started was to try writing a story that just sort of goes; there's no real predictable endgoal, no singular conflict that swamps the others, and the narrative was meant to be presented in a way that's as if Eddie or Rebecca is literally narrating a situation in a conversational style as it's happening, inclusive of their own thoughts. When you break it down, I was trying to treat the story like the everyday life of a teen in high school, since in life there is no predictable endgoal or singular conflict. While it was fun to play around with at the beginning, it does get hard to keep doing as the plot bits get somewhat more serious. I think the reason that most people thought last chapter was an improvement in the writing style was because I made it more traditional to the conventions of writing (the way all my other stories are written). Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that in case I suddenly put this on hiatus or something (I'm not saying I will, but it's not too improbable).

Review responses are at the bottom!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_High School Romances  
__(Rebecca)_

Ah, Friday, the best day of the school week! In about five minutes that bell is gonna ring and we'll be free for the weekend; and don't forget that Wil is taking me somewhere special tonight! Heehee, I wonder what he's got planned.

I guess some of you might be wondering what happened the day after that big group date. Well, if I'm being completely honest here, not a whole lot… I wouldn't say that things specifically like that are common, but, c'mon, we're in high school, people fight and bicker and start rumours all the time! Typically the quiet people avoid others at school, so I wasn't surprised that they didn't attack Boyd, and thankfully Tethys wasn't anywhere around Gerik, though it was a bit weird that I didn't see her at all today or yesterday. I guess it doesn't matter too much as long as Marisa's spending more time with him.

"Wil!" I called as we exited the gym.

"Hm? Oh, hey, Rebecca," he said warmly as I jogged up to his side. "What's up?"

"We're still on for tonight?" I asked happily, lightly playing with his fingers.

"Of course!" he answered enthusiastically, readjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Sorry, I've gotta meet up with Shinon and the guys, but I'll pick you up around six, alright?"

"M'kay."

Flashing me a toothy grin, he quickly kissed me goodbye and ran off to find his friends. Sighing comfortably, I kept walking until a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Rebecca, wait up!" Mia's voice yelled from behind me. Sheesh, woman, you just grabbed my shoulder, you don't need to yell!

I turned around to face her, noticing Leo and Eddie only a short distance behind. "Hey, Mia. Did you need something?"

"No," she chuckled, "I just feel like it's been a while since we talked. I mean, you're always with Wil nowadays."

"Huh? Mia, we just talked to each other at lunch today!"

"Eh, I wouldn't really call our lunchtime chitchat real conversation stuff," she said flatly, shrugging. "Besides, I heard Wil's taking you somewhere tonight!"

"That's because I told you at lunch," I giggled at her forgetfulness. "But yeah, he is. He says it's a surprise and that he wants it to be special since it'll be our first real date with just the two of us."

"Aw, how sweet," she mocked, but I laughed along with her. Mia's not really the type for mushy relationship stuff. "That's funny, though. Eddie said almost the exact same thing you did just now."

"Eddie did?" Was he doing something special with L'Arachel? Despite him being my best guy friend, I haven't really paid much attention to his relationship. I mean, do I really need to know how many times he's done it with her? No. Then again, he's a good kid, so I bet they haven't…well, of his conscious approval…

"Yeah," Mia laughed, snapping me out of those thoughts, "he said that it's his and L'Arachel's first real date tonight too. Hehe, maybe you'll bump into each other."

"Bleh, I'd rather not," I grimaced at the idea of seeing Eddie and L'Arachel on a date. Mia just laughed at my response. Sometimes I think she's too upbeat for her own good. "Besides, Eddie and Wil don't really think alike, so I doubt he's even planning on doing something similar to us. No offense to him, but Eddie's not exactly the smoothest guy."

"Hey, I heard that!" Eddie laughed as he lightly bopped me on the head. "I could out-romance Wil any day!"

"Sure you could," I teased him back before noticing something somewhat out of place. "Hey, shouldn't you be with L'Arachel?"

"Shouldn't you be with Wil?" he retorted in that smug manner of his.

"Touché. Wil's meeting up with some friends, though. What's your excuse?"

"Uh, L'Arachel takes forever to get changed, so we decided at the beginning of the week that she would just catch up to me while I head back to her place," he replied as if that were a normal thing to say. "Besides, I don't need to spend every moment possible with her."

Well, I'd certainly hope he wouldn't. It's strange, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if Eddie knows that I don't like L'Arachel. I mean, I would assume I've been obvious about it, but guys are so dense sometimes. In fact, I'd probably have to tell him outright for him to figure it out.

"Funny, because that's what you've been doing for this past week," Leo replied for me, though I wouldn't have been so snarky. Sometimes I don't get their friendship, given that mine with each of them isn't like theirs with each other at all.

"Hey, well when you guys are done being all gushy with your boos," Mia butted in, "and that includes you too, Leo, the four of us should all get together and do something!"

The three of us exchanged a quick glance before accepting Mia's proposal. It's funny, I always considered Leo and Eddie my trio of friends because Mia would usually be off with Sumia and Marisa, but we've always been close with her too. Maybe we're the more reliable friends now that nearly everyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend. I should set her up with someone just for kicks. If I did it with Marisa, then Mia should be no problem! …That is, as long as she doesn't beat the crap out of the guy I set her up with… I better make sure he's tough…or too nice to hit…

"It _has_ been a while since only the four of us did something together," Leo stated. "I'm no good for suggestions though." That's a terrible lie, Leo. You always make our plans because you say that we're too indecisive…

"Well, it doesn't have to be right away!" Mia responded, ignoring Leo's…modesty? "We can just figure something out when you guys have time!"

With that as the ending note, the four of us reached the front entrance of the school and waved goodbye as we each went our separate ways. I quickly made my way home and slumped down on my bed. Now I just have to kill about three hours until Wil picks me up. Ugh, that'll feel like forever though, and there's nothing to do at my house! Maybe I can see what Nino or Mark is up to; they don't live too far away.

"Anybody home?" I heard Dart shout from downstairs as he came in the front door.

"Just me!" I called back.

"Oh, so nobody then," he said back smugly. Rolling my eyes at his usual response to me, I groped through my purse to find my phone. I should really clean this out; there's way too much stuff in here.

"So, plans for tonight?" Dart's voice came from my doorway, and I yelped slightly, not realizing that he'd gotten there so quickly.

"Why? You don't care what goes on in my life," I shot back in annoyance. "And don't you knock?"

"Pfft, knocking's for people who care," he guffawed while I groaned. "You're going out somewhere, right? So no one'll be home 'til later?"

Ha, I knew there was a reason he was asking! Dart never cares what I do on my spare time. "Why does it matter? So you can sit in your room and watch porn or something?"

"Well I can't exactly have Kleine over since I don't know what time Mom and Dad get home tonight." Gross, I said it as a joke… Apparently it was a bad joke…

"…Do you really have to detail your gross urges to me? I'm your sister, I don't wanna hear that stuff from you!"

"Whatever," he said flatly, shrugging and leaning against the doorframe. "Besides, I'm just lettin' you know so when Little Willy's little willy disappoints, you have someone to vent to at home."

"…I would never _ever_ talk about stuff like that with you…"

"Heh, why not? You'd rather talk to a chick about that kinda thing? What's she gonna know about a dude's problem?"

"I don't know; I'm not expecting it to happen! Look, I can deal with these things myself."

"'Kay, well, I'm just saying I've got ears, is all. Relationship problems are right up my alley."

I was tempted to make a quip about how that was probably because he'd had so many, but something else about that statement was making me curious. Where was the smug grin on his face, or the snarky tone in his voice? This doesn't seem like Dart; he seems more like Dan from before he became a JDB member. A silence ensued between us before I decided to ask him outright.

"Dart? Why are you being nice to me?" I asked genuinely. While the way he said it was a little crude, the general gist of what he was getting at was that I could talk to him if I ever needed to.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" he said in a way that was less gruff than his usual tone.

I cleared my throat and darted my eyes around the room while I tried to form the meaning in my head. "Well…it's just that you've never exactly offered anything…serviceable to me before. Usually you're all "do whatever you want, I don't care" so it's just weird for you to say nice things…"

He shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips a bit before forming a response. "Dunno, sometimes I just say things, y'know? Besides, I'm at home; I don't have to keep my tough guy rep around you." Actually, you don't have to do it at all; no one likes it…

"You know, Dart, more people think you're an asshole than a tough guy."

"Oh yeah? Who said that about me?"

"Most of my friends, Eddie especially," I giggled a bit. I wasn't trying to throw Eddie under the bus, but he's always been pretty clear about his feelings on the topic.

"Huh, Eddie, eh?" Dart mused, bringing a hand up to scratch his chin. "Truth be told, I always liked that kid. He's scrawny and weak, but he kinda grew on me after seeing him here all the time as a kid."

"Really?" I responded in an extremely puzzled manner. Dart had never shown any outward signs towards him liking Edward. "You've always been so mean to him though!"

"Yeah, well, that was just me showing him who's in charge," he chuckled back. As stupid as his logic was, I laughed along with him. "Anyway, that's enough sibling bonding for this year. Do my laundry, will you?"

Before I could refuse, he sped off to his room, cackling like an idiot. He sure knows how to ruin a surprisingly pleasant brother-sister bonding moment. I might be bored, but I am not bored enough to do his laundry! I think I'll kill time by cleaning out my purse…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

Wil showed up at my house exactly when he said he would, and I quickly slipped a note under Dart's door before leaving. I had to make sure he knew there was food for him downstairs since he can't cook to save his life.

"You look nice," Wil said coolly as we got into his car.

I glanced down at my outfit in surprise. Truth be told, I got a little carried away sorting through my purse and making food for Dart that I only had about five minutes to pick something out. By the time I practically threw this mint green dress on, Wil was knocking at the door to pick me up, so I wouldn't say that I looked all that nice.

"So do you," I said sweetly, pushing those thoughts out of my mind. "So, what big plans did you have set out for tonight?"

He chuckled lightly as we pulled out of the driveway. "Well, let's see… I got us a reservation at Ilyana's-"

"Holy Naga, how'd you manage that?!" I exclaimed, ping-ponging my eyes from Wil to my attire. "I'm totally underdressed!"

Ilyana's Eatery, despite the rather unprofessional name, is one of the top rated restaurants around our five-city district, right up there with places like Cuisine de Stahl. The fact that two high school teens got a reservation is crazy enough, but he couldn't have told me we were going somewhere dressy?

"Don't be silly, if one of us is underdressed it's me," he chuckled, apparently not understanding the gravity of the situation.

"But people will be staring at us and giving us funny looks!"

"I hardly think so, Rebecca," he continued laughing away. "It's a semi-formal restaurant at best. Just because it's a four-star place doesn't mean I need to wear a tuxedo or something. Trust me, we're gonna get there and we'll fit in just fine with everyone else."

I huffed and tried not to dwell too much on the fact that I was wearing my everyday clothes to Ilyana's. I'll admit that I didn't really pay attention to everything else Wil said he had planned for the night, so it'll still end up being a surprise for me; hopefully none that'll make me feel even more out of place though.

I glanced around cautiously out my window as we pulled into the parking lot. Irritatingly enough, there weren't any people outside at that exact moment we happened to pull in, so I couldn't tell if I was overreacting or not.

"C'mon, let's not lose our reservation," Wil said lightheartedly, opening my door and helping me up since I appeared not to be doing it on my own.

Okay, now that we've stepped into the restaurant, I can officially say that neither of us was completely right nor wrong. I knew that the two of us were underdressed, but Wil was right in saying that we wouldn't stand out. After looking around the immediate area a bit, I could see that most of the people were dressed only a little more formally than the two of us. I might've let my nerves run a bit much back there, but I think it's better to be cautious, wouldn't you?

"So," Wil started when we sat down at our table, "still having all those jitters from before?"

"Hehe, um, I think I was just anxious about the date," I lied, though I'm not completely sure why I did. "I'm okay now, though."

"Heh, well, that's good; I don't think tonight would go quite as smoothly if you were constantly worrying about every little thing that might go wrong."

Do guys not worry about all the things that could go wrong, or is it just Wil? He seems awfully calm about everything, but then I've been known to be a bit jumpy on first dates, so maybe it's just me… Still, I know that he and I have known each other forever, but it makes me wonder how many times he's done this. I've only gone out with a handful of guys since my first date, so obviously I still get all those first date jitters on, well, the first date. Wil, on the other hand, makes it look like he's done this a million times… Maybe he has; he is a popular after all, and a good-looking one at that. I wouldn't be surprised to hear a double-digit number for how many dates he's been on just in high school.

I glanced up from my menu to see if his expression or body language gave off any signs, but either I'm not great at reading signs or he simply wasn't giving me any. He sort of just sat comfortably while he scanned over the menu, pointing at things with his finger every once in a while and retracing back to something else he might've considered. I mean, the way he was doing things looked no different to the way he normally did, so the only conclusion I can really draw from that is that he's…comfortable? Content maybe? I have no idea…

Stop it, Rebecca; you're worrying too much!

"And for you, Miss?" an unfamiliar voice from beside me asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked over dumbly to see the waitress with her little notepad out, having already taken Wil's order apparently.

"Oh, uh," I said, quickly scanning through the menu and picking something somewhat at random, "the ravioli."

"Okay, I'll be right back with those orders!" she said, taking my menu and heading off to the kitchen.

"You okay, Rebecca?" Wil asked while giving me an odd look.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, why do you ask?" I said in a poorly acted manner of true unknowing.

"You seem a bit…" he paused, apparently trying to pick out the right word, "on edge or something. Maybe that's not the right way to describe it, but you seem unlike yourself."

"Really? I-I didn't notice," I stammered but knew that the lie wasn't going to hold out. Wil didn't say anything, just continuing to stare at me, boring into my head as if to see what I was trying to hide. Damn, I'm no good at keeping things from him… "It's just…you seem really calm compared to me. Actually, you've seemed calm for this entire time!"

"Um…yeah, should I not be?" he asked, puzzled by the seemingly random statement. "I mean, it's not like there's anything really nerve-wracking going on, and we've only been on this date for about forty minutes."

"Sorry, I should've explained better," I said, though I was still unsure if I wanted to go on. Unfortunately, Wil's pressing stare forced me to keep talking. "I wanted…to know if… I mean… How many times have you done this, Wil?"

He paused for a moment, his expression unchanging, and I was left with a sort of empty feeling. However, he didn't take long to say something. "Uh, by 'this' do you mean had a slightly confusing conversation over dinner or…"

"Gone on dates," I answered quietly, doing my best to keep eye contact with him.

He stopped to scratch his head, contemplating for me. Is it a good sign that he has to think about it? And what is he thinking about anyway: the exact number, or if he should tell me the exact number? It doesn't seem like a good thing either way really.

"If I'm being honest," he coughed sheepishly, "I don't actually know. If I could, I would tell you the exact number though."

"Oh…" I sighed a bit dejectedly. "Is it…is it because you forgot or…lost count."

He reached across the table and lightly grasped my hand in his. I hadn't even realized that I'd dropped my gaze from him, but I looked up when he did that. His face was stern, but a small smile showed at the edge of his lips.

"Hey," he said soothingly, "I don't want you to make a big deal out of it. I'm not gonna treat you like you're disposable just because I can't remember how many dates I've been on. You mean something to me, Rebecca, which is a lot more than I can say for some of those other girls I took out."

His words warmed my heart, and I couldn't help a little chuckle escape my lips as he smiled brightly at me. "Heehee, when did this turn into a cheesy romantic comedy?"

"I must've missed the part where it was a comedy," he chuckled while slightly feigning offense, "but if it's romantic, then I'll take it."

Both falling into some light giggles, we got back on track with normal conversation until our food arrived, which only stopped the flow of speech because we were eating.

You know, as odd as it might have started out, and as much as I may have overreacted, I'd say this date is already a success. There are few people I can name that have the ability to pick me up so soon after I get myself down, but it's an amazing feeling when it happens. I'd be completely content if this was all Wil had planned for the night. Then again, I wasn't paying attention to what he'd said was after this, so it's possible, though unlikely, that this _is_ all he has planned. Regardless, I'm just glad that things have turned out all right.

"What are you doing after high school, Rebecca?" Wil asked, starting up a different topic. "I know we've still got this year and next year, but it's always good to look to the future."

"Hmm," I hummed, sipping my water. "Y'know, I haven't really thought much about it. I think I wanna go to school, but I don't know what for yet."

Wil wobbled his head and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Hey, it's a start, not everyone knows what they want to do. If anything, you can just try to get into Arts or something. I know a few people doing that."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," I answered offhandedly. "What about you?"

"Me? I was thinking of taking a year off to travel and then seeing what happens from there," he said without hesitation. "I've heard it's hard to go back to school after a year away from it, but I'm not even sure I want to go to university."

"Oh, wow, I wish I could take a year off to travel," I answered in slight awe. "I don't have the money to do it, and I doubt I could make enough from now until graduation."

"Heh, well, I'd be working abroad while travelling," he chuckled. "It sounds a bit scary, but it'll be like an adventure, and I've always been an adventurer at heart."

I giggled at his last statement: not because it was untrue, but because he really had been an adventurous person for his entire life. As a kid, Wil and Dart would always drag me through forests and big fields of grass and caves wherever they could find. I never minded, but I always remember wondering what it would have been like if I had more female friends. I mean, I grew up with Dart, Wil, Eddie, and Leo, and I didn't make my first girl friend, Nino, until the end of elementary school. Even then it didn't make much of a difference because she was still in grade five when we went on into middle school, so I spent a good portion of my childhood as a tomboy.

"Sounds like it'd be perfect for you! I think…"

"…"

"…"

"…Uh…Rebecca?"

"Of all the places…"

"Hello? Rebecca? Earth to Rebecca!"

"I can't believe…"

"What are you looking at? Oh…"

"No, it can't possibly be them. There's no way that's-"

* * *

_(Eddie)_

"Hello, Master Edward," Dozla greeted when I got to the front doors of the mansion. "Miss L'Arachel is not chasing you today?"

"Nope," I said happily, "I think I finally managed to tame her! She wasn't chasing me yesterday either!"

"Well, I'll be," he mused. "Though, I did hear her flirting with you in her usual manner yesterday."

I shrugged, still smiling. "I can handle the teasing, and it seems that she isn't so eager to rip my clothes off anymore, so I'd say I'm in the clear."

"Heh, if I may be so bold, what ever did you do to quell her promiscuity?"

"All I did was kiss her," I answered truthfully before adding, "soberly."

"Ah, perhaps a kiss from the boy she fancies is all she needed," he chuckled to himself.

Since there wasn't really much else to say to him, I left Dozla in the atrium and headed up to the guest room. Ah, I'm gonna miss this place, and not just because it's a freakin' awesome mansion, but because I'd been getting used to living here. Seems weird that I'll packing my bags and getting out of here tomorrow, but all good things come to an end. Who knows, anyway? Maybe once L'Arachel and I start going out more often I'll get to spend some more time here. I mean, I'm obviously here for L'Arachel, but you have to admit that a mansion would be pretty sweet coupled with the girl you've been crushing on for years.

Flopping down on the bed, I just sort of lay there taking in all the events of this past week. I know it's only been two days, but it feels like L'Arachel's last attack on me was such a long time ago. I mean, I expected her to be a bit calmer the day after I kissed her, but I didn't realize that she would completely change on me. I like this change, though; she seems more personable.

It wasn't long before I heard Dozla answer the door again, and a few moments later L'Arachel flopped down on the bed beside me, nuzzling up against my side.

"Hey," she chirped peacefully.

"Hiya," I chanted back, earning a little giggle out of her.

"You weren't waiting long, were you?" she said in her sexy voice while snaking her arms around my torso. I still tensed slightly, but I'm about ninety percent sure she won't do anything.

"Maybe ten or fifteen minutes," I answered nonchalantly. "But that's like an eternity without you," I added in the most ridiculously cheesy voice I could make.

"Heehee, you should pay more attention in drama class, Eddie; that was awful."

"Ouch, my pride," I pretended to be heartbroken. "Thine maiden fair doth insult my very being!"

"Oh, gods, please stop," she laughed, her entire body quivering against mine in mirth. "I don't want to be mean, but you're terrible, Eddie!"

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

"…Well, you didn't butcher that one, so I guess you're okay."

Both laughing lightly, we stayed there for a bit, talking and laughing while we held each other close. It's funny, I've never been in, or even heard of, a situation where two people can be this close (I don't want to say intimate because with L'Arachel that's a whole different implication) with each other as friends. I mean, technically we're past friends, but since we aren't 'officially' dating it doesn't count. Heh, I guess it's true when they say that it isn't official until it's Facebook official.

"So, Edward," L'Arachel lightly spoke into the nape of my neck, "where are we going tonight?"

I smiled and softly leaned my head against hers. For once in my life, I hadn't forgotten about something important, and I actually had things figured out. I didn't have a whole lot planned, but it should be a nice evening.

"Well, I got us a reservation for dinner, and I know this nice place where we can just sort of hang out afterwards. It's got a really nice view, and it's really beautiful around dusk."

"My, my, you went all out, didn't you?" she murmured happily.

"Of course," I answered, breathing in the soft smell of lavender in her hair, "I'm not just a silly kid who doesn't know what he's doing."

"No? That's too bad, I really like the silly kid in you," she replied, nuzzling into me even more so.

I chuckled but didn't say anything more, just lying there while comfortably running my hand up and down her back. Who would've thought that I would ever get the girl I wanted? Most guys only dream that it'll work out, and even the ones that get the girl don't always have lasting relationships. Sure, it's a possibility that that could be me as well, but nothing could make me happier right now than doing what I'm doing.

"What time did you say we're going?" she asked after that brief moment of silence.

"We probably have to leave a little after six," I said glancing at the clock that read 3:30.

"Eep! I have to go get ready then!" she shrieked into my ear. "You should've said we'd be leaving in two and a half hours, Eddie!"

"Hehe, uh, sorry, that's quite a bit of time for a guy… Besides, does changing really take that long?"

"You wouldn't understand; it's a girl thing!" she called from the bathroom, having already made her way in there to look at herself in the mirror.

"You already look really pretty!" I said, hoping to boost her confidence a bit. She didn't say anything in response, and I could hear her running back and forth between her room and the bathroom. I have no idea how this girl logic stuff works. Ah, well, I guess I've got some time to kill.

Leaving L'Arachel to do her thing, I sat up on the bed and pulled out my laptop. The Internet is always a good way to kill time! Just gotta take a second to sign in and…

_Doo doo doo… Doo doo doo…_

Video chat? I hardly ever video chat people… Who's calling me anyway? Leo…figures it would be him.

"Hey, Leo, what's up?" I answered his call. I always feel weird talking to a computer, even if I can see the person I'm talking to on the other side.

"Hey, my mom just found this old picture book buried in our storage closet," he said, holding up the front of the book so I could see.

"Um, okay, is that why you called me?" I asked, bewildered by the fact that he would want to show me something as trivial as that.

"What, you aren't the slightest bit curious as to why I would call you about it?" he sneered, bringing the book back down and flipping through a couple pages while chuckling.

"Well, are you gonna show me or just keep laughing by yourself?"

"Hehe, you have no patience." He shook his head and slid a picture out of the plastic fold before holding it up to the webcam. "Look familiar?"

I scrutinized the picture as best I could through Leo's crappy webcam before realizing what it was.

"It's us!" I laughed at the picture of Leo and I as kids in our swim trunks.

"Yeah, this whole photo album is dedicated to me, but you and Rebecca are in most of them, and it goes all the way through our first year of middle school. Everyone looks so funny! You'd hardly recognize grade six Sothe!"

"Holy crap, so that's gotta be at least a hundred pictures, yeah?"

"One hundred? Eddie, did you see how thick this book is?" he laughed, turning it sideways so I could see the sheer volume of it. "There's four pictures per page, and each page is double sided. I have no idea the actual number of pages, but I'd say that there's probably around seven to eight hundred pictures in here!"

"Sweet Ashunera, that's a lot," I breathed out in disbelief; then again, his mom _is_ a photographer. "I assume you're planning on scanning and uploading them?"

"Eddie, that'll take me a really long time to do," he said seriously. "You'll probably have forgotten about this whole conversation by the time those pictures go up, and I'm not sure you'd be so happy about me uploading all of them."

"Haha, relax, embarrassing childhood photos are funny no matter whom they're of!"

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you when these go up way later and you get all embarrassed."

"Yeah, yeah, just get to work, Fletcher!"

"Better start scanning, then. I'll talk to you later."

"'Kay, see ya!"

Heh, I wonder what the rest of those pictures look like. I guess I could go over to Leo's house sometime and just have a look, but that would ruin the surprise for whenever he gets them all scanned and uploaded. I'm sure Nino's gonna see them, so she'll probably laugh every time she sees someone in that picture book, including herself. Well, it'll be a nice trip down memory lane. Now, time to browse the interwebs…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

I officially don't understand what girls do when they're getting ready. For the past two hours, I've heard L'Arachel constantly running back and forth, stopping at each end to do something or other before quickly running back. At one point she hopped in the shower for about half an hour, but that was the longest amount of time I think she stopped running around for.

As for me, it's about 5:40, so now's probably a good time to change. Let's see what I have for nice clothes… Aha, a white dress shirt! I'm surprised I packed one, but I'm thankful for it. I guess I can wear jeans since it's not a super fancy place; I don't think I have the balls to take her out somewhere fancy anytime soon. Muscle shirt underneath? Sure, why not?

Okay, I'm done changing and it is…5:45… Glancing in the mirror, I smoothed out the fold lines on my shirt and buttoned it up. I think I look decent for a date, probably not up to par with whatever L'Arachel's taking so much time to do, but decent enough. Heh, five minutes for me to get ready, and she's still running around in there after almost two and a half hours.

When her footsteps finally ceased, I slowly stepped towards the bathroom door before knocking. "Uh, L'Arachel? We don't have to leave just yet, but are you almost ready?"

The sound of fast approaching footsteps made me jump back a bit right before the door swung open.

And then everything stopped.

Ignoring the flustered look on her face, she looked absolutely _gorgeous_. She was in some kind of wavy, white dress that somehow hugged her figure while appearing to flow gracefully at the same time. A matching clutch purse was being tightly gripped in her hand. She wore a couple bracelets and an elegant necklace, all of which were simple enough not to appear flamboyant, but flashy enough to accentuate her features even more. She let her hair hang down, something that she didn't usually do, and it fell down past her shoulders in a wavy fashion. What captured me most, though, were her eyes. I have no idea how makeup works, but, let me tell you, she did something that made her radiant green eyes stand out even more vividly. Overall, she was captivating, and I didn't even bother shutting my hanging jaw.

"I look hideous," she whined, turning towards the mirror and running a hand through her hair.

It took me a moment to process what she said, but when I did my head nearly blew up. "What?! L'Arachel, no, you look stunning!" I exclaimed truthfully. "I mean, I feel like a dirty bum by comparison."

She glanced at me and smirked a bit, but turned back at her own reflection and contorted her face. "You look cute, Eddie. I can't get anything to look right though. My makeup's all wrong, I didn't get to paint my nails, and my hair just won't cooperate!"

"L'Arachel," I said softly, stepping into the bathroom beside her and bringing her hands down from her 'uncooperative' hair. "I literally have no idea what you're talking about, because I've never seen anyone who literally made my jaw drop like it did just a moment ago. Trust me, everything you just mentioned looks great to me."

"Really?" she whimpered like a child.

"Really," I chuckled back, pecking her on the temple. "Would I lie to you about something like this?"

"You mi-"

"No, I wouldn't," I cut her off. "Thanks for trusting me."

She giggled a bit before quickly going back into her room to grab a pair of silver gladiator heels. Honestly, if you're wondering why I know all the names of these clothing articles, it's because I've been living with L'Arachel for a week. Seriously, I didn't know there was such a thing called a romper, but she wasn't kidding when she said it makes going to the bathroom awkward. I'm glad I never have to wear something that would make me strip completely just to take a leak…

"I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be," she sighed, though she managed to maintain a somewhat positive attitude as she said it.

"That's…kind of the spirit!" I cheered, leading the way out to my car. "Don't worry, we'll have a great time, and if anyone says you look bad, I'll beat the crap out of them."

"You'd really fight someone just for me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Well…probably hit them and run if they're bigger than me…which is pretty much any guy, so, yeah," I laughed, causing her to as well.

"At least you're honest," she chuckled, leaning her head on my shoulder as we walked. "By the way, you never said what restaurant we were going to."

"Didn't I? I swear I did."

"Nope, just that we were going for dinner and then to some pretty viewpoint."

"Oops, hehe, well, I remembered you talking about this place before, and how you hadn't been there in a while, so I called and got a reservation made yesterday."

"Um, sorry, I forget about half the things I talk about. Which restaurant was that?"

"Ilyana's."

* * *

Well, I know it's weird that this chapter doesn't go chronologically, but I thought it might be a little more suspenseful if I built it up this way :). Hopefully the mid-chapter POV switch didn't throw you off, but I actually liked the way that went. I was actually feeling this chapter as I was writing it, which is good because the last couple were just sort of bleh for me. I dunno, I can always tell in my writing when I'm feeling good about a chapter, but maybe you guys don't notice :P

Did anyone guess that they might bump into each other? I definitely tried to put in a bunch of foreshadowing in previous chapters and this one, but I'm not sure how obvious it was. Foreshadowing isn't meant to make things blatantly obvious, but…y'know…literary techniques and stuff… Regardless, it should be pretty obvious now whom Rebecca and Wil saw at the restaurant, and next chapter is a direct continuation. It's probably only gonna be from Eddie's POV, but I'm considering the possibility of doing it like this one (except that it will happen chronologically).

Also, the GMT love triangle is still underway. You didn't really think I'd end that ordeal with Tethys simply giving up, did you?

Thanks for reviewing!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **To be honest, humour is just something that kinda comes and goes with me. If I feel like writing it, then it'll come out as I'm writing, but if I don't, then it won't. I let it happen naturally so that any laughs earned aren't coming from forced jokes. I'm actually not planning to give Eddie a side story anymore. I have little things with him and Leo happening all the time, so I think I'm just gonna stick with that unless I feel the need to give him something more.

**Fireminer: **Ah, yes, the lack of Rebecca and Wil being in the forefront was mostly because I didn't know exactly what to say about them. Hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint, as it did have a good chunk of Rebecca and Wil interaction. As for Mark and Serra…it was sort of just a fleeting idea, but I don't really see anything coming out of it (which is kind of what I was implying in Mark's explanation of the whole ordeal). I dunno, though, some kind of inspiration might strike me for it, but as of right now I don't see anything for them.

**Serious Bananas: **Huh, didn't think you'd actually stick around, but I'm relieved that you gave me another chance. Now, I won't hope or even expect that you will, but maybe if you have time you could read my FE oneshot. It's not that I'm looking for more views or reviews on it or anything, but I fear that I gave you the wrong impression of my writing technique with this story, and, as I stated at the top, this one is very experimental and far different from any of the others I've written thus far. Since I don't know what other fandoms you follow, I only suggest that one, as it's FE and shows what my typical writing is like (my KH one started out similar to this but has since become more like the others).

**Totallynotbearclaw13: **Lol, not sure what the name change is about, but as long as I still know who it is :P. By no means did I think this story was superior or even level with WiH, as this one is completely different, and had barely any prior planning (whereas WiH had the whole thing planned from start to finish). Everything about the EddiexRebecca seems forced? Perfect! If there's one thing I did plan, it's that that is not meant to come across as natural, and hopefully Eddie and Rebecca's reactions reciprocate appropriately the unnatural insertion of the idea of them getting together. There is a reason for these moments, so don't be too concerned. At this point, I've actually changed my mind many times about what their end relationships are going to be, so I still have to choose a road to progress down and stick to it!

**BritRecon: **Well, I can always count on you to enjoy my work, sir :). Indeed, now that L'Arachel's personality has been quelled, she is far more human, and I'm glad that you find this new L'Arachel more enjoyable. For me, I actually don't mind writing either of her personalities, because I see it as her evolving into a more mature person, rather than just suddenly switching. Hopefully the ending of this chapter got you more hooked, and I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	15. Hearts Aflutter

Wow, I'm ridiculously behind on my writing… I also just kinda realized how slowly this story's been progressing in terms of time. After I finished that last chapter, I looked at the story stats and kinda drew this conclusion: The story was fourteen chapters in, 100k words long, and the time frame that had passed in the story has only been two weeks… Heh, I should probably have a time skip sometime in the near future…

I think I can officially say that I'm an anime fan because I've been spending nearly all of my free time for the past few weeks doing nothing but watching it, which is more or less the reason why I didn't start writing this until Thursday night… Heh, I remember how in high school I always thought that I would never be like the weird otakus (though I didn't even know that word before…) at school, but now I've turned myself slightly like them. I'm really only interested in slice-of-life and romance ones (yeah, I'm a sap; deal with it), so I haven't watched anything like _Naruto, Avatar/Korra, One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail_, or whatever else is super popular. If anyone's curious or has suggestions for me, I've watched _Clannad, Clannad After Story _(so many feels… Definitely my favourite so far!)_, Kanon, Air, Toradora!, _and I just finished _Itazura na Kiss._ Movie-wise, I've seen almost every Ghibli film, _Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Five Centimeters Per Second, Voices of a Distant Star, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Bungaku Shoujo, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, Clannad, Air, _and probably more that I can't remember right now. I just started _Lovely Complex_ and I'm planning on watching _Spice and Wolf_ sometime later on, but feel free to leave me any suggestions!

That was more than I was expecting to say on the matter, but the point is that I didn't start writing because I've been doing other things on my extremely limited spare time. Still, I have an obligation to update this, so I'll do my best since it's not on hiatus right now! Review responses are at the bottom!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Hearts Aflutter  
__(Edward)_

"Eddie?!"

Huh, someone just called me? It definitely didn't sound like L'Arachel…wait is that…Rebecca and Wil? They don't look too happy to see me right now…

"Uh, hey," I said, sauntering a bit closer to their table. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"What are you doing?!" Rebecca asked, sounding somewhat aggravated, though I have no idea why.

"…I'm, uh, just going to the washroom…"

"No, like, what are you doing here?!"

I glanced around nervously, hoping that her uproar wasn't on a large enough scale to attract attention. Geez, why is she yelling at me though? Did Wil say something to piss her off? Seems like the most likely reason, but I've never known Bec to redirect her anger on someone else like this, especially me!

"Same thing as you: I'm on a date," I answered calmly, though awkwardly shifting my gaze from Rebecca to Wil. I was a little thankful that Wil seemed just as confused by her demanding tone. "Is…is that an issue?"

"It's…I…nevermind, just go on with whatever…" she sighed, looking away from me. Sheesh, what got her in such a foul mood? I'd have assumed that a date with Wil would make her ecstatic, but apparently not…

Without so much as an awkward goodbye, I slowly turned back towards the direction of the washrooms and made my way there.

Something about the way she reacted made me think it was my fault, but I didn't do anything…did I? Hopefully you're just as confused as I am because I honestly just got here with L'Arachel about twenty minutes ago, sat down, and chatted for a bit before nature called. Seriously, if she only called me over to get all pissed off, she may as well have not called me over at all! Gods, I'm getting a little worked up just thinking about it. Calm down, Eddie, she's probably just in a bad mood.

After washing my hands, I did my best to avoid passing close by to them again, but, thanks to Murphy's Law, a big birthday thing was going on, so the staff were blocking my only way to get by without going near those two. I don't wanna keep L'Arachel waiting for me, so I guess I'll just ignore them while I pass by.

I did my best to keep my eyes fixated on anything but them as I got closer to their table. It seemed as though they were too engrossed in some kind of conversation to notice me anyway. Sighing in relief, I relaxed a bit, hoping to stay unnoticed until I was out of their immediate surroundings. However, something caught my attention as I got within earshot of them. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not typically one for eavesdropping, but it sounded like they were talking about why she was upset. It shouldn't be my business, but Bec is one of my best friends, so I want to hear her out too, even if she doesn't realize I'm listening. Slowing my pace, I cautiously neared their table.

"-sure you're okay?" Wil asked a frustrated-looking Rebecca. "I know I just asked, but you seemed fine, happy even, until you saw him walk by. Usually I'm the one getting pissed at Edward." At least he's honest. Asshat.

Bec huffed, slouching as she played with the condensation on her glass. "I really didn't want to see him tonight, especially here when it's supposed to be our night." Uh, ouch, that was rather rude and unexpected. "Am I being selfish for saying that?" Yes.

"Well, not that I want to defend him or anything," Wil reasoned; usually I'd call him a dick for saying something like that, but it's rather characteristic of him, "but how does seeing him for a couple seconds ruin our night? It's not a ridiculous coincidence that he's here, and the most we'll see of them for the rest of tonight is if they happen to leave at the same time as us."

"…I suppose."

At that point I realized I'd stopped walking altogether. I must look pretty stupid standing randomly in the middle of the walkway, but I'm out of eyesight thanks to the booth. All I want to know at this point is what's going on with Rebecca. She's acting pretty cold, and I honestly can't think of anything I might have done to upset her. Why would I be the cause of her annoyance? Even looking back at my last few chapters, I can't see anything I've done to bug her! She was fine talking to me after PE today…

"It isn't about him, is it?" Wil stated more than he asked. "Heh, I don't know why we're dwelling on this, but I've known since middle school that you two never fight unless something or someone else gets involved."

Since I was facing away from them, I couldn't see how she reacted, but judging from my knowledge of Rebecca my assumption is that she shifted uncomfortably while avoiding eye contact.

"It's L'Arachel," she said after a moment or two. Hearing that only piqued my interest more, though I hoped that my extended absence wasn't causing L'Arachel any trouble. "I can't stand that girl; she's stupid, ditzy, and doesn't seem to really care about anyone but herself."

I felt my hands ball into fists, but I restrained myself from doing anything. Sure, Rennac had made some of those same comments before, and I'm sure that he wasn't the only one to think so, but Rebecca?! She hardly even knows L'Arachel; how could she jump to conclusions like that?!

"So you're upset that Eddie's starting to see her?" Wil asked calmly. "Again, not to defend him, but doesn't that make you kind of a hypocrite? After all, you know that he and I have some issues, but he seems to be…well, maybe not supportive or accepting, but he acknowledges that we're in a relationship and he doesn't seem to be trying to split us up."

"We're different, though," she retorted.

"How so?" Yes, please elaborate.

"Well, you and him used to be friends, so even if you don't get along anymore, he knows you're a good guy, even if he doesn't think so now." …I'm sorry, but did that logic make sense to anyone out there? Women… "L'Arachel, on the other hand, is someone I've never liked since the moment I first found out whom she was. I knew Eddie was getting in trouble when he started seeing her, but I let it go before. For some reason, though, I can't seem to anymore. I…I just want what's best for him."

I didn't hear whatever followed that statement. Oh, sure, put on a worried face and use a semi-concerned tone, and everything will make your argument more valid, right?! Did I ever ask her to look out for me? No! I knew she had always been the overprotective type, but this is…is… Gah, it's just plain stupid! Even Wil was taking my side, and yet she continued to insult L'Arachel _and_ me! What kind of bullshit is she playing at?!

I'm sure I received many odd glances as I stormed back to my table, fuming silently with my fists clenched tightly. It didn't matter, though; I just wanted to get away from that outrageous couple as fast as I could. To think that my friend, no, my _best_ friend would say things like that! Oh, I've been this angry before, but never with someone as close to me as Rebecca!

"Heehee, you sure took your time," L'Arachel giggled as I sat down, though one look at my face changed her tone immediately. "Um, are you okay, Eddie? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," I grumbled, not even attempting to hide my aggravated tone.

"…If you say so," she responded lightly. "Oh, I ordered for you because you were taking a while and I knew what you wanted."

"Thanks."

After hearing all those things that I did, it was difficult to get back in a good mood, even though I was out on my first date with L'Arachel. She clearly noticed, as her face showed signs of slight worry at my responses, but she didn't question me on it because, I'd assume, she didn't want to make me any more upset. Pah, only thinks about herself, my ass!

Maybe I'm overreacting, though. I mean, it isn't like I expected Rebecca to like L'Arachel all that much. In truth, I didn't even give a thought to how the two of them got on with each other; it just never really crossed my mind. What I wasn't expecting was the outright, blatant way that she described her. Okay, maybe it's because she thought only Wil was listening, but I would never say things like that about someone I hardly know! I have good reason to call Wil a sleazeball, and the only other people I say things about are the ones who are assholes to me, like Dart and his gang. As far as I know, L'Arachel only interacts with Rebecca in Business class when we have to work as a group.

"Oh, Eddie, this a little more daring of you than I was expecting," L'Arachel cooed, breaking me from my thoughts.

"H-Huh? What are you talking about?" I stammered nervously, munching on a piece of bread.

"Heehee, you've been playing footsies with me for the past few minutes. I didn't know you were one for PDA and such."

I kind of froze on the spot as I felt her foot slowly brush up the side of my shin. The table didn't have a tablecloth or anything, so anyone passing by who just happened to be looking downwards a little bit would easily notice the seductive leg massage she was currently giving me. For Naga's sake, I thought I'd been tapping the table stand with my foot, and I'd hardly compare my foot bobbing to whatever this is!

"L-L'Arachel," I gulped, shifting my eyes back and forth, "w-we're in public. Someone m-might see!"

"Good, maybe that's what I want," she said mischievously, continuing to rub my leg.

"What the crap?! W-Why would you _want_ people to notice?"

I felt my body shudder a bit as her foot went a little higher than she'd been going. I couldn't even manage to say anything at that point, only letting out incomprehensible grunts of discomfort and slight pleasure. After about a minute or so of that, she stopped fooling around because she couldn't seem to contain her giggles anymore.

"Haha, wow, Eddie, you're really easy to get going, aren't you?" she teased, restraining her laughs from getting too loud.

"Are you kidding me?! You practically had your foot on my thigh!" I responded, though despite the exclamation mark, I made sure to keep it so that only she heard me.

"Admit it, you liked what you were getting," she said, smirking and resting her chin on her elbow-propped palm.

"In the slightest way possible," I sighed, trying to avoid eye contact. "Probably would have liked it better if we weren't in public where everyone can see."

"I like where this is going," she teased. "Besides, I was just trying to get you back in a good mood since you seemed like you were PMSing pretty hard just then."

"Sorry, I was just… Wait, what?!"

Simply laughing in response, L'Arachel sat back in her seat and let herself have a good time. I couldn't do anything right then, and I didn't have any intention of doing so since she seemed happy. I let myself laugh along with her, though Rebecca's words still echoed around in my head. Tch, I still can't get over that 'only thinks about herself' line. Seriously, the fact that L'Arachel just cheered me up for the sake of making me feel better is already a contradiction to that statement.

For the rest of dinner, I did my best to push those negativities to the back of my mind so I could focus on having a good time with L'Arachel. Thanks to her bubbly attitude, coupled with her, er, somewhat distracting behaviour (more footsies and then some…), it was just as easily done as said. Huh, never thought that would be something I of all people would say. Regardless, the rest of dinner went over smoothly, and I didn't feel the slightest bit nervous with her, despite the fact that she's an absolute beauty while I'm still just…me.

"That was great!" L'Arachel chirped after I paid for our meals. "I can't believe I haven't been here in such a long time!"

"Well, I'm glad you haven't," I chuckled, turning to stand up, "otherwise it wouldn't have seemed nearly as special."

She giggled lightly, and the two of us headed off from the table. Relieved and extremely happy that the first part of the date had gone over well, I kept my chin up as we neared the exit. Well, I did until we saw just who _happened_ to be leaving at the same time as us. Ugh, this would happen…

"Hey, is that…" L'Arachel started, leaning her head forward a bit to get a slightly better look.

Oh no, please don't say hi, L'Arachel! Dammit, I hate this stupid thing going on between the four of us. I mean, with me dating L'Arachel, a girl who doesn't have a problem with any of us but whom Rebecca hates while she dates Wil, whom I share a mutual disliking with despite Rebecca being my best friend, until the two of us landed at some sort of strange standoff right now…yeah, things are kind of complicated.

"Wil! Greeny!" Shit. She just waved over to them. And maybe Rebecca doesn't like L'Arachel because she can't remember her name…

The two of them glanced over and kind of half-smiled at us, each giving the most pathetic waves I'd ever seen. Rather than giving her the chance to drag me over to have an extremely awkward conversation with them, I quickly latched onto L'Arachel's arm and pulled her towards the other exit door.

"Wha- Hey, what are you doing, Eddie?!" L'Arachel asked me in confusion as I rushed us out of the door. "I wanted to say hi!"

"Oh, uh, yeah, we probably shouldn't…um…interrupt them on a date!" I stumbled as I made up that lame excuse. "Besides, they didn't seem all that enthused to see us."

"Maybe that's because you dragged me off so fast," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Aw, don't be like that," I said, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her close against me. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She eyed me with a somewhat unimpressed look, so rather than begging and pleading, I put on the most ridiculous sad face I could muster. One look at my terrible attempt, and I could already see her mouth twitching as she attempted to keep the giggles from escaping. I leaned in and whimpered like a puppy until she finally broke into a fit of laughter.

"So I'm forgiven?" I said hopefully, returning to my regular face.

"Y-Yeah, I g-guess so," she laughed, unable to control the waver in her voice.

Even by the time we crossed the parking lot and got into my car, L'Arachel was still in giggles over the face I'd made. Not that she was annoying me, but, sheesh, it wasn't meant to be _that_ funny! Honestly, I was just doing it so that she would forget about Bec and Wil. I sure wish I could forget what I heard just as easily…

It was a relatively short drive to our destination, and I was thankful for the clear skies. Being that school only started a short while ago, the weather is still pretty hot out, which makes it perfect for doing stuff outside. L'Arachel's eyes went wide as we turned onto a road that went along the coastline. I smiled when she looked over at me, but mentally wished that I could've had some kind of convertible instead of this run-down old car; it really would've made the moment that much more enjoyable.

The road continued along until we drove up a hill. Finding a spot to park, we got out and L'Arachel quickly stepped towards the open area of where we were.

I wish you guys could see this place in person, but I'll do my best to describe it for you so that you can get the right idea of what it looks like. The sunset glowed in its spectacular orange hue over the section of Tellius we were in. A wide-open field of grass lay out before us, with a safety railing circling the edge of the cliff that overlooked the ocean. Off to the right we could see the beach running along the coast down below, and to the left was merely more cliff. A playground sat a few meters from the edge of the cliff, and benches were strategically placed so that people could enjoy the view.

I remember finding this place here as a kid. Leo, Bec, and I had been exploring when we happened upon this spectacular view. Back then, we were a little more interested in the playground, but the best part was that it was like our secret spot. In truth, it's only about a ten-minute walk from Leo's and my houses, so our parents eventually figured out where we always liked running off to. Still, we used to come here all the time as kids, but I guess as time went along we couldn't really come here with our conflicting schedules or school and whatnot. I probably haven't been here in a few months now that I think about it.

"Eddie, this place is amazing!" L'Arachel cheered, a light breeze billowing her dress about.

"I thought you might like it," I said confidently, stepping next to where she was standing by the cliff. "This used to be one of my favourite places to come on my spare time."

"Oh?" she said, turning from the rippling water to me. "But it isn't anymore?"

"Well, I guess I should rephrase that. It still is one of my favourite places, but I just don't really have as many chances to come here as I used to. It was great back when Leo, Bec, and I had all the free time in the world to come up here though."

"That's too bad that you can't be here more often," she said peacefully, sighing as she turned back towards the sun setting in the distance. "I'd probably come here all the time if I lived closer."

"Yeah, well, it's a little better when you can actually come here with someone," I chuckled, kicking a pebble over the edge.

"See, we should've talked to Wil and Rebecca when we were at the restaurant!" L'Arachel said after a moment of calming silence. "It would've been fun for us to be here together, especially since you and her used to come here as kids, right?"

"Tch, yeah, fun," I said sarcastically, turning around to lean on the rail. "I'm sure that would've been just peachy."

L'Arachel didn't say anything at first, and the two of us stayed in another short silence before she stepped in front of where I was. I looked up to see her not with a look of concern on her face, but a smile: the same sincere one she'd shown me on our practice date. Without a word, she took my hands in hers, pulled me up off the railing, and wrapped me in an unexpected hug. Confused but not unhappy, I returned it slowly.

"I don't know if something bad happened between you and them, but I'll listen if you want to talk about it. I don't want you to keep hurting," she mumbled into my chest.

Somewhat taken aback by the sincerity of her words, I said nothing, but allowed a smile to form on my lips as I sighed in contentedness.

"Don't worry," I said, finding the words after a bit of thought. "It's nothing I want you to trouble yourself over, and I can get over it on my own."

"Are you sure?" she asked, the normal tone of her voice returning slightly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Then that's good," she said, fully regaining her normal tone as she looked at me. "I was getting a bit worried that you'd be all down on yourself tonight and that it might wreck your, ah, _performance_."

"P-Performance?!" I stammered, loosening my grip on her, only to have hers tighten.

"Oh, yeah," she said sensually, her hands slowly creeping down my back. "After all, I haven't quite seen just how athletic you can be, Eddie. What sort of secrets are you keeping underneath this figure of yours?"

She thinks I have figure? Hey, that's a good ego boost for me, seeing as I'm pretty scrawny. However, I thought I'd done away with this super flirtatious side of L'Arachel. I guess you can't really erase someone's personality entirely, but I had hoped that it was going to stay toned down from here on out.

"Ehehe, I mean, you've pretty much seen it all, haven't you?" I chortled sheepishly, attempting to loosen her hold to no avail.

"Mm, that's true, but I need to see just how far you can go," she breathed onto my neck. "So, then, are you ready to get this going?"

"W-What?! Right here?!" I exclaimed, squirming a bit despite knowing how futile my efforts were.

"Well, of course," she giggled. "Where else are we gonna have a swing-jumping contest?"

"No, I'm not ready! I… Wait…what did you say?"

Laughing and immediately running off towards the playground, she turned around and repeated, "Yeah, a swing-jumping contest! Were you thinking of something else, Eddie? My, you're a naughty boy, aren't you?"

Winking playfully, she dashed off towards the swing set, leaving me standing there like an idiot with my mouth slightly agape. This is what I get for letting my guard down around her! At least she didn't actually do anything this time, but who's to say that nothing will happen when we go back to her place tonight? Then again, maybe she'll tire out by the time we get there.

Shaking my head to snap myself back into reality, I made my way towards where she had already started swinging. She'd taken off her shoes because it would have been near-impossible for her to walk on the sand in heels, and as much as I was tempted to run off with her shoes to get her back, I kept the idea as simply that.

"So what's this contest you had in mind?" I asked as I slumped onto the adjacent swing and started pumping.

"Were you ever a kid, Eddie?" she teased as she flew past me multiple times. "It's when you jump off and see who goes the farthest!"

"I know that!" I shouted in her general direction. "I just didn't take you for the type to do these kinds of things, especially if you might get sand all over your clothes!"

"Who says I'm gonna fall down?" she laughed, swinging higher and higher.

I guess I have nothing to lose from this. Besides, I'm the master of these contests!

Using my masterful techniques of swinging to build up my momentum, I quickly gained on L'Arachel's height until I surpassed her with ease. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm swinging pretty high up. Sand isn't exactly the most comfortable ground to land on from a high drop…maybe this wasn't such a good idea. And even worse, what if my masterful techniques send me flying off the cliff?

Realizing that my swing wasn't going to swing any higher, I readied myself for the flight before the impact. I know that I won't really go far enough to go over the cliff, but I wasn't lying when I said that landing on sand isn't comfortable. I'm no physicist, but I'm pretty sure that all the shock from the landing goes straight up into my legs instead of getting absorbed by the ground.

"Eddie, jump already!" L'Arachel chanted from beside me. Well, now or never…

Oof! Yeah, legs are shaking…ow…okay, now I'm collapsing.

I looked up from where I had fallen down to see that I had nearly jumped to the edge of the sandbox. Aw yeah, I am the master of this! Looking back to where L'Arachel was still swinging, I sent her a smug look and crossed my arms.

"Ha, beat that!" I guffawed, turning away in a snobbishly cocky manner.

"Edward, look oooooouuuut!"

"Huh?"

I turned back to see her land not as far as I had, but she was stumbling on her feet, and before I could react, she crashed right into where I was sitting. I was in a bit of a daze for a moment before I fully processed what just happened. Somehow I'd wrapped my arms around her in a failed attempt to steady her, and she ended up landing on me. However, that wasn't the most pressing thing at the moment.

I know I've talked about touching boobs before and how it's embarrassing if you do it by accident, but I'll say that it's a little more embarrassing when it's not even your fault. It's also about a million times more embarrassing when it's not your fault that she happened to fall into your face chest-first…

"Owww," L'Arachel groaned from on top of me. "Landing on sand hurts- Ooh the sun's setting!" Talk about a short attention span…

"Could you please get off me?" I managed to say through muffled…breasts…

She glanced down to see that she was crushing me, but her instant apologetic look quickly changed to that flirty L'Arachel look. "Aw, what's wrong? Aren't we both enjoying the view right now?"

"We're not exactly experiencing the same view, and yours isn't suffocating you," I panted.

"Heehee, fine, you're no fun," she said, sliding down so that we were at eye level. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered, staring back into her eyes.

She started to get up, but my arms seemed to work of their own accord, tightening my hold around her so that she couldn't move. Her mischievous look suddenly turned into one of slight surprise, and I watched as a light pink complexion covered her cheeks. Neither of us could really say anything in the moment as we gazed at each other, the sunset illuminating our faces from above our heads.

A light breeze blew by, and my grip on her tightened ever so slightly. I could feel her hands gripping onto the front of my shirt, almost begging for me to do something, and yet keeping her distant. I could only imagine that this was not the same way her other relationships had been, because she seemed unsure of herself right now. To be honest, I wasn't too sure of myself in the moment, but the two of us stared in anxiousness at the other, feeling the deep breaths on each other's faces.

My arm snaked up her back, gently sliding its way up to her shoulder blades before stopping. I was afraid to go further, and yet I wanted to have this moment reach its full potential. Her hands gripped my shirt so tightly that I could practically feel her hands shaking in anticipation. I wanted more, and I wasn't afraid to stop, so I forced my hand to slowly make its way up to the back of her head, feeling her silky hair cascade onto my arm.

And it happened instantly.

As if we had both given in to our anticipation and excitement at the same time, we were locked in a powerful kiss, allowing the full force of our emotions to flow out into one single action. Our eyes closed, and I could feel one of her shaking hands caress my cheek as she crept it around into my hair. Her lips felt soft against mine, squishing forcefully yet delicately, passionately yet gently, and in the most unforgettable, indescribable way possible.

We hardly took time to breathe, allowing our lips to control themselves while we gave in to our withheld feelings. She'd always been so insistent on fooling around with me, but I could truly understand the passion of her feelings placed behind the kiss that she so desperately wanted to share with me. Every slight twitch of her lips, flick of her tongue, and light moan she released was like a spark of electricity shooting through my veins and into my system. My fingers ran through her hair, stroking through the long strands that fell around her shoulders.

I had never felt so connected to someone that I had right in this moment. To think that I had once placed this girl on such a high pedestal, but now I was kissing her with every ounce of my soul was almost unfathomable. Her fingers tugged at my hair, and I couldn't help but grunt in pleasure. Every move she made only made me want more, and every reaction I had to her seemed to spur her on further.

When we finally parted lips, I opened my eyes to see hers sparkling back at mine, a sort of dreamy look going about them. She almost looked teary, as if she had never done something like this before, and it only made me happier to realize that fact simply by looking at her. I don't know when her legs had begun to straddle me, but it bothered me little that she had done so. I couldn't care less about her sexual antics, knowing now that we had just shared something truly special.

"Eddie," she breathed out, "you're poking me."

"I figured as much," I responded in the same manner. It wasn't so much of a mood ruiner as it was the first thing that came to mind.

Neither of us laughed though, for she wasn't teasing me and I wasn't getting embarrassed. In fact, I hardly even paid attention to what she had said, as I'm sure she wasn't quite so aware herself. Nothing else even existed anymore, except for the two of us. We were in a world of our own, locked in each other's arms as we stared into the eyes of one another. My lips tingled from the residual warmth and sparks that had been there only moments ago. I watched as she brought her hand up to gently touch her own, as if experiencing the same thing as me. She looked to her fingertips like there would be something there before curling her hand back into my hair. I could feel the anticipation burn again, and her face began to descend upon mine again.

So we kissed again, with every drop of ecstasy we could release.

* * *

It's a rather short chapter, but this one wasn't meant to be long. I was really only trying to focus on two things for this one, so hopefully I achieved my goal in playing out both the Rebecca half and the L'Arachel half.

Heh, it's funny, I'm always worried that I'm going to run out of ways to describe kiss scenes because I write them so often, and yet I always manage to get through them regardless. Maybe it's because they're always presented in different situations in my stories, but it's relieving to get through them, especially since I absolutely love writing them; though I almost felt like Eddie's was a little too risqué because I could have written the exact same things for a sex scene… I have always been curious what it would be like to write a lemon… Well, there won't be any lemons in this story, so don't worry! (Unless you were hoping for one, in which case I apologize…)

Next chapter will skip ahead some amount of time that I haven't thought out just yet, but will be in Rebecca's POV.

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Cormag Ravenstaff: **Ike. Boring. Does not compute. Ike is a badass, I just think that they'll end up replacing him because Chrom. I don't think Lucina is boring, but I can kinda see how others might, seeing as she's just a serious, sad backstory, heroine archetype. RobinxLucina is meh; I never got into it, but I don't hate it. Hopefully you weren't disappointed that this was more serious than funny. Some parts may have gotten laughs, but I dunno, I guess that's up to you!

**Fireminer: **I'm usually not one to do oneshots based off of my multi-chaps. I figure that if I want to do spinoffs of stories I have, then I'll make them full out instead of basing something short off of something that you would have to read something else for first. Makes it easier on the readers _and_ me, y'know?

**BritRecon: **Honestly, I read your review and couldn't take it seriously when I read 'segue'. Lol, I'm sorry, but all I think when I think of on the very rare occasion that I see that word is how dorky segways make people look, especially on vacation when people are taking segway tours. Anyway, I know you like my fluffy stuff, so hopefully that kiss scene was extravagant enough for you to be content until the next chapter.

Thanks for reading and please review! I'm most interested to hear thoughts on the fluffy scene, but all thoughts are welcome!

_-GengaJupite_


	16. The Near and Distant Future

So I never ended up getting through _Spice and Wolf_ because all the econ and business stuff was boring me to tears, but I did end up watching two other series that will forever be in my top tier next to _Clannad._ I'm pretty sure I spent all my free time last week watching all four seasons of _Zero no Tsukaima (Familiar of Zero)._ It's got some decent reviews, but I personally found it to be more entertaining than only decent (boob humour to the max :P). And then the other one…

_Sword Art Online_… I think I'm obsessed (in case you didn't notice, my avatar changed)… I started reading the light novels right after I finished the anime, and I really wish I had the money to spend on preordering the blu-ray box sets. They're frickin' ninety bucks each (there's four), but it comes with art books, tons of bonus features, all the soundtracks, and probably more that I can't remember off the top of my head. I mean, technically I have the money, but I don't have a credit card, and I doubt my parents would be down to spend $360 plus shipping and taxes… I'm a collector, so just torrenting it doesn't satiate my needs (I did torrent it, but I'd much rather have the physical copies)… I'm also desperately awaiting season two's launch (I think it starts next summer or something)… Woe is me on this day of first world problems…

Thanks to **BritRecon, Fireminer, **and **Cormag Ravenstaff** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_The Near and Distant Future  
__(Rebecca)_

"Hey, you seem awful quiet today."

"You kidding, Marisa? She's been like this for the past few months!"

"Really? Huh, guess I didn't really notice until now. Of course you would notice though, Mia."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing… Geez, is she even listening to us?"

I hardly even noticed the sensation of someone poking my face and tried to brush off the feeling as if it was just my imagination. Well, that is until a sharper, more jagged finger began poking the other side of my face. Slightly annoyed, I turned to my left towards Mia, who promptly poked her finger between my lips since she hadn't expected me to react.

"Ah, gross!" she cried, wiping her finger off on Boyd's shirt. "Rebecca, what's with you lately?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked in a dull and depressed manner, slouching down in my seat.

"You're being all mopey and stuff," Marisa answered for Mia, sounding somewhat concerned. "Did something happen?"

"This isn't just because Wil's on vacation, is it?" Mia added. Geez, it's like a ping-ponging of questions between these two…

I guess I should explain the situation before everyone starts getting confused. This would be way easier if you all just knew, though…

Sorry, I shouldn't be lashing out; I'm just…not in the best spirits right now.

I guess the latest news anyone has heard of me was back on that date with Wil. Well, it's been about three months since then, and we're about halfway into December. I'm not a huge fan of cold weather, so the snow outside hasn't really been helping my mood at all. I thought I'd be able to get through all of this just fine with Wil to keep me company, but, of course, his family decided that they were going to spend the holidays in Valm to visit his relatives there. Honestly, I didn't know he had Valmese relatives, but the point is that I'm going to be spending my first Christmas with him…well, without him… I'm sure we'll exchange presents when he gets back, but… I dunno, it's not quite the same doing it later on.

With that in mind, I've been pretty down about all the stuff people have been planning; things like Christmas/New Year's parties and all that jazz. There's also supposed to be a dance, but I don't know how many of these things I'm actually gonna go to. Call me a Debbie Downer, but I just don't see the fun in going to these things if my boyfriend isn't here to go with me. I mean, if I were still single, then it wouldn't have been a problem, but I'm not, so it is.

On a somewhat unrelated note, Tethys has also started to flirt with Gerik again, much to our group's chagrin. I know that isn't directly related to me, but it's more the fact that Marisa doesn't seem to be so down about it, and I feel like I should be the one helping her out right now instead of her helping me. After all, it's not like anyone's trying to move in on Wil. I know I'd be getting discouraged at this point if I were in her shoes.

And then to top that all off, Eddie hasn't spoken so much as a handful of words to me since that day I saw him at Ilyana's. I know I might have been a bit on edge when he was talking to me, but that doesn't seem like something he would avoid me for. I mean, he's your typical guy, so he probably just thought I was on my period or something – which I wasn't, of course. Whenever I've tried talking to him since, he usually gives me the shortest blow-off possible, and he never seems to look me in the eye anymore. As much as I want to say this has something to do with him and L'Arachel's weird relationship (they aren't _technically_ dating, but they do everything that a couple would do), I don't think it is since they haven't declared themselves a couple. Basically they act more like a couple, but in the end they're still just the same as they were before, which means that the only thing that's changed is Edward's attitude towards me. Leo says he doesn't know what's going on, but I think he just doesn't want to tell me. Stupid boys and their 'bro code'.

"It's nothing," I sighed, laying my head down on the lunch table. "Nothing you haven't already heard, anyhow."

Mia blinked, giving me an uncharacteristically blank look before flicking me in the forehead. I rubbed the spot in mild annoyance and gave her a dirty look, though it probably didn't look as bad as I was imagining it to.

"You need to get out of this rut you're in," Marisa said, forcing me to turn away from Mia and towards her. "I mean, with Wil gone, you're free to go have fun with everyone else!"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about Tethys and Gerik?" I said, eyeing the redheaded dancer attempting to feed him something.

"Maybe," she said rather uncaringly. "Truth be told, he's been pretty unreceptive to her since she only started flirting with him about a week ago. I think he and I actually made some progress over these past few months that she's left us alone! This one night, when we-"

"Never mind that!" Mia cut in, stealing my attention away. "Look, the point is that you shouldn't be worrying about Wil's life or Marisa's life right now! You're free to do whatever you feel like, so get to it!"

"What can I do, though? My best friend won't even talk to me; he's too busy with L'Arachel now, and that doesn't even seem to be the problem."

"Oh? Are you really only willing to hang out with Eddie when Wil's not around?" Marisa teased, much to my irritation.

The sound of the bell ringing interrupted my retort to Marisa's comment as she gallivanted away. I really have no idea what she has to be so happy about… Oh, wait, there she goes with Gerik. Tethys looks pretty peeved…

Sighing, I gathered my uneaten lunch together and stuffed it in my bag before heading off to the Business classroom. I slumped down in my usual seat, sulking in the overall unpleasantness of everything around me. Gods, it's just been one of those weeks, y'know? I could feel the frown forming on my face as Eddie and L'Arachel entered the room without so much as a hello. They seemed too preoccupied with whatever stupid conversation they were caught up in…

"You are quiet," Lon'qu's voice muttered from beside me.

I turned to him, unfazed by the fact that he hadn't been in that seat a moment ago. "Isn't that a good thing?" I asked snarkily. "After all, you're always complaining about how talkative I am."

"Hmph, I do not dislike it this way, if that is what you are implying," he answered grumpily. Well, I suppose grumpy is normal for him.

"I wasn't implying anything," I grumbled, turning to look at the laughing couple in front of me.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…It has something to do with them," he said, nodding towards Eddie and L'Arachel.

"What do you care?" I shot back, refocusing my gaze on him.

"I do not," he said in his normal tone. "However, you are clearly unhappy."

"…Are you trying to say something? If so, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me right now."

He shut his eyes at that comment, though I couldn't be sure if it was from annoyance or if he was simply closing his eyes. I stared at him, waiting for some sort of answer, but he seemed to be lost in thought…that or he was sleeping…

It wasn't long, though, before he reopened his eyes and actually glanced at me for a split second. "If you do not want me to hear you out, then I shall gladly ignore your problems."

Well, it was a rather crappy and rude way of saying he wanted to know what was wrong, but I wasn't exactly expecting him to show any sign of caring at all. If I'm being honest, I was a bit too shocked to say anything at first. Maybe I was reading into it too much, but was he trying to befriend me? I mean, I'm flattered and all, but wouldn't he rather stick to his regular…pals? I still haven't figured out if the quiet guys are friends with each other…

"A-Are you… Lon'qu, are you trying to cheer me up?" I questioned, a slight rise in my voice and spirits.

"Hmph, of course not," he said flippantly, a tiny smirk forming on his lips. "I simply do not want my grades to be affected by your work ethic if you are upset."

As rude as some of the things he said may have seemed, I couldn't help but smile a bit at his own unique kindness. Who would have thought that Lon'qu of all people would be the one to cheer me up? Usually he's bringing my spirits down by being all reclusive and whatnot, but maybe I'd actually gotten through to him. That certainly can't be a dampener on anyone's spirits!

I told him that now probably wasn't the best time but I would be glad to tell him about it at lunch. His reply was a nervous look accompanied by him saying that I might embarrass him in front of the others if he was seen with me, to which I smacked him for. His intentions might be good, but he's still an ass about it…

The rest of the school day whizzed by without incident, and before I knew it I was already on my way out of the gym.

"Rebecca, wait up!" Mia's voice called out from somewhere behind me.

"What's up?" I asked plainly as she jogged up beside me.

"Leo asked me to chill with him for a bit, but, knowing him, Nino is gonna come with. I don't have a problem with her or anything, but I don't wanna third-wheel this thing, y'know?"

"Wouldn't it make more sense for you to bring a guy?" I jeered, smirking devilishly.

"Pfft, as if. Whom would I even ask?" she laughed loudly.

"Hehe, well, who's still single?" I asked, but then the two of us actually stopped to think about that. When you boil it down, nearly all the guys in our group are taken.

"Um…the only one I can think of is Robin…" Mia began, though she didn't sound overly thrilled at the idea of asking him, most likely because Noire would eat her. "Or Soren… Ew, I would never go out with just Soren!"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. I don't really see the problem with Robin, though he probably isn't her type, but what girl would actually go out with Soren? Better yet, what kind of girl would Soren even bother asking out?! I don't think I've ever heard of him liking someone at all. Would it be an honour to get asked out by Soren? I mean, I wouldn't say yes if he did, but… I don't really know where I'm going with this.

I sighed and shook my head a bit. "Do you _really_ want me to go?"

"I guess you don't have to," Mia said sadly. "I'll just go and sit in silence while the two of them flirt together. I'll pretend to be a part of the conversation and laugh every once in a while so that they acknowledge me, but secretly I'll-"

"Okay, okay, I'll go, sheesh."

Cheering happily, she grabbed me by the wrist and hurried us to wherever we were meant to be meeting Leo. Unexpectedly, Nino wasn't with him, and the three of us trudged through the snow towards some coffee shop nearby. Huh, I'm not sure how I've never noticed it before; I guess I just don't drink that much coffee. It sure does sound nice right now though. Stupid cold weather.

"So," Leo began once we'd all sat down at a table with our drinks, "what have you two been up to? We haven't really hung out like this in a while."

"That's because you and Nino are always together," Mia chuckled. "By the way, where is she?"

"She's doing some project with one of her groups," he said, sipping his drink. "And hey, it's not entirely my fault we haven't hung out in a while! After all, I was looking forward to us three and Eddie getting together for something, but that never ended up happening."

"Yeah, well, he's been all weird for the past few months," I said, eyeing Leo suspiciously. He definitely noticed my expression, but ignored it instead.

"You didn't ask him to hang out today?" asked Mia.

"Nah, he's out with L'Arachel, I think. Besides, I don't think he'd come if I asked."

"Why's that?" Mia and I asked in unison, though I was a bit more aggressive.

"Beats me," he said, casually drinking his coffee and shrugging.

"Cut the crap, Leo!" I finally snapped. "It's so obvious he told you why he won't act normal around me anymore! Is there something wrong with me?"

"Whoa, whoa, calm yourself, Rebecca," he said, lightly pressing his hand down on my shoulder. I hadn't even realized I'd jumped to my feet, but I relaxed and reseated myself. "To be honest, I didn't _really_ catch any of the details of what he told me. The damn kid's working me to the bone, scanning through some giant, old photo book."

I had no clue what he was mumbling about, but I did want to hear what he knew. "Then what did you hear out of the stuff he told you?"

"Nothing interesting; something about bumping into you and Wil at a restaurant and an awkward conversation. Then he said something about you saying some mean things… I dunno; like I said, I wasn't really paying attention."

Thinking back to that incident, I can't really remember saying anything overtly terrible to him. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have snapped at him for coincidentally being at the same restaurant as us, but that wouldn't have made him avoid me for months on end. The only thing he would have considered terrible was probably when I was telling Wil about how I don't like L'Arachel, but Eddie wasn't around for that part.

"Haven't you tried asking him directly?" said Mia.

"Yeah, I mean, I noticed his weird behaviour after about two or three days, but every time I asked he would always say something like "it's nothing" or "oh, I didn't notice". You'd think it'd be easy with all the classes we have together, but he really seems to be avoiding the subject."

"What does he do in English class?" Leo asked. "Aren't you his only friend in that one?"

"Sort of," I said, sipping my drink. "Believe it or not, he actually does his work instead of talking to me. Basically, since it's just me with him, he'll just ignore everything around until we can leave for Drama."

"Are there more people in that class?"

"Yeah: Kris, Nephenee, Feena, Lucina, and probably some other people he can just go up to just so he can avoid me."

Both of them stopped to think for a moment, leaving our table in an odd little silence. The only sounds around were the light chattering of other people, the sipping of coffee, and the typical, ambient music that always plays in coffee shops. I kept glancing back and forth between Mia and Leo, wondering what they were thinking, but I couldn't get a good idea from just their facial expressions.

"He's going to Sumia's party tomorrow," Mia finally spoke up.

"Ah, that's a good point," Leo added, leaving me out of the loop.

"Huh?" I asked stupidly, feeling slow for not understanding what they meant. "What difference does it make if he's going to a party?"

"You should come too," they both said, turning to me with plain looks on their faces. It's kinda creepy when your friends are thinking the exact same thing as each other, but doubly so when they gang up on you.

"Why? It's not like a party setting is a good place for us to sort out our problems. He'll have our entire group to use to avoid talking to me!" Somehow I felt like they already had that sorted out, though.

"Don't worry, we'll get it sorted," Leo answered right after I had that thought. "Since there won't be any populars, most of our group doesn't have one person to keep them occupied for the night."

"That kind of contradicts the whole plan, doesn't it…?" I muttered.

"Yeah, but here's the thing," Mia continued for him, "there are still a few prospective and actual couples that'll be there: Gerik and Marisa, Robin and Noire, Leo and Nino, Sothe and Micaiah; y'know, the usual."

"Exactly," Leo added before I could interject. "Chances are, most of the attention from everyone else will be on Gerik and Marisa – possibly Robin and Noire, but that's less likely since it's a one-sided thing."

"I still don't get how this all helps Eddie and I get over whatever he's pissed off at me for doing…"

Mia huffed at my impatience but continued anyway. "Well, while everyone's busy watching Gerik and Marisa kiss under a mistletoe or something, Leo and I can sneak Eddie out of the house where you'll be waiting. Then he's pretty much cornered for you to ask him all the stuff you want!"

"Except that he can just go back in the house…"

"We'll lock the door behind him," Leo chuckled, and both of them sank back in their seats in satisfaction.

It sounded like a decent plan, but what was bugging me was that it sounded like they had some ulterior motives. I pondered it for a bit before the idea sort of clicked in my brain.

"Did Marisa put you up to this?" I questioned darkly, causing both of them to stop laughing as they glanced from each other to me.

"What makes you say that?" asked Mia.

I glared at her, knowing that she knew exactly what I was talking about. Leo had the same look of sheepishness as her, and that right there pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

"This plan sounds oddly like one of her 'oh my gods, Eddie and Rebecca would be so cute together' type of plans. She doesn't really seem to understand that we both have our own separate love lives."

Mia opened her mouth, seeming nervous, and I sneered as she was about to admit to it; that is, until the sound of Leo laughing stole both of our attentions. The two of us stared at him in confusion as the blond lost himself in giggles. It was an odd enough sight to see him show emotion on a high level, so this was…pretty freakin' weird…

"Hehe, sorry, guys," he said as his laughs died down, wiping a mirthful tear from his eye. "Rebecca, you make it sound as though Marisa is some sinister mastermind, trying to set the two of you up! Honestly, Mia and I just made this plan up on the spot right now."

"Really? It seemed pretty well-rehearsed to me," I challenged, turning to Mia's stunned face.

"Well, it was supposed to come off as natural," he said nonchalantly. "Truth is, I don't think Marisa could care less about your relationship, since she has enough going on with her own. Sure, she says you and Eddie would make a cute couple, but I'm almost certain that's all it is. Does she really seem to be the plan-making type? After all, didn't her last attempt end in Noire blowing up in her face?"

As much as I wanted to make a retort, he had me stumped there. Sure, Mia still looked just as flabbergasted as before, but using her as evidence that it wasn't true didn't really seem logical, especially against a logical person like Leo. Was this really all there is to it: that they simply wanted Eddie and I to kiss and make up, minus the kissing? I'm not sure why I read into it that far in the first place, so maybe it was my fault for overanalyzing their plan.

"Besides," Leo said smugly, knowing from my silence that he'd won the argument, "why would I ever want to get you two together? I mean, before you were dating other people, you already spent most of your time together. I know that because I was there too. All that would do would make hanging out with the two of you more awkward for me."

"And me!" Mia said after finally getting over her shock from before. "Leo could always bring along Nino, but then that makes me the fifth wheel! Three wheels can make a tricycle, but there's no need for a fifth if you already have four!"

"We'd be a Jeep with a spare tire," Leo chuckled to himself, earning a kick under the table.

"Getting back on track," I sighed as the two of them squabbled a bit, "do you think this'll work? What if Eddie just says he doesn't want to go outside or something?"

"Don't worry about that," Leo said reassuringly. "I'll take care of the tricky parts, you just worry about what you're going to say to him."

I don't think Leo fully comprehends which one of us has the tricky job…

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

I got home a little later than expected that night. After we had spent a fair amount of time going over the plan, I finally agreed under the condition that I could back out if things seemed to be going over badly. They seemed to think that was fine since I "only had to talk to him". Tch, they make it sound so easy. Lucky for them, tomorrow's party was one of the few I'd actually agreed on going to, so they didn't have to do any extra convincing.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked Dart as I walked into the kitchen. He seemed to be the only one home, watching some crude cartoon.

"Working late, as usual," he said, munching on a bag of chips that I can only assume was his dinner. "What's with you?"

"Huh?" What's with me? He isn't even looking at me, yet he's asking me something like that? Probably just being a jerk. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I saw him shrug his shoulders, still facing the TV instead of me. "You don't sound all mopey and depressed. You also remembered to take off your shoes and not shuffle your damn feet against the floor."

"Sorry that I'm not in a terrible mood right now?" I said in annoyance. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be apologizing or asking what I should be apologizing for.

"Psh, whatever; you were probably just on your period or something. I mean, you were all moody for a week, but now you're fine. Heh, frickin' girls…"

I was about to toss his bandana in the trash when a different thought crossed my mind. "Hey, why aren't you with Kleine? Don't you usually take advantage of Mom and Dad not being home? …Not that I want to hear about it or anything!"

He chuckled, but still didn't turn towards me. "Nah, she was busy today. Don't worry, I already fapped, so you don't have to worry about walking in on me or anything."

"Ugh, you are absolutely disgusting, you know that?! Why do you tell me these things?!"

"'Cause you're my brah? I dunno."

"Look, I am not your 'brah', I'm your biological sister, stupid! Bros and brothers, brahs and sisters are different concepts. I don't wanna hear about your urges!"

"Whatever, you came in here to vent to me, didn't you?"

I stopped, stunned by his perception. Initially I'd just wanted to see what he was up to, but when I entered the room I remembered him telling me that I could talk to him about my issues, which of course caused all my anxieties to start bubbling forth.

And so I spilled out everything to him: everything ranging from Wil's absence to my own insecurities about the relationships I have. Dart faced away from me the whole time, but I could tell he was listening despite the fact that his eyes were fixated on the TV in front of him. His body language showed his reactions to each of my plights, but he made no comment about any of it. By the time I finished telling him all about my problems, I felt out of breath but at the same time weightless. It was strange to simply have someone listen to me without interruption, and I was just as surprised that it was Dart who had done so as I had been about Lon'qu cheering me up earlier.

"Feel better now?" he asked, munching on some more chips.

"I…do. I never knew you could be such a good listener."

"Heh, you don't give me nearly enough credit, kid."

I giggled a bit, but softened my tone to show him that I sincerely meant it. "Thank you, Dart, no, Dan. You're a good guy when you want to be."

"Hmm, sometimes I wonder…"

We sat in silence for a bit, the only sounds coming from the TV. I couldn't even be sure if Dart was watching it or not, since he never seemed to react to anything going on in the show. There wasn't much to study by looking at the back of his head leaning on the couch, but there wasn't really a way for me to get a good view of his face without being too blatant about it.

"What's up with you?" I asked, figuring it would be the best way to see why he was being so different from his usual self.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, you just spent the last while listening to all of my problems; the least I could do is listen to yours. You've obviously got something on your mind right now."

"Pfft, course I don't," he said unconvincingly. "I'm just try'na think over all of your issues. This whole Eddie thing sounds like some horseshit on his part."

"Dan-"

"Call me Dart."

I sighed, but went with it anyway. "Fine, _Dart_, I know you aren't busy wondering about my problems. You haven't moved since I got home, and you've been doing the same thing this whole time."

"Yeah, I was watching TV."

"Dart," I said angrily, knowing that he was trying to push the subject away.

"You don't need to worry about my problems, Rebecca. You have enough of your own, so hearing about mine will just make your load worse…that's what she said. Besides, I can take care of myself."

"Says the guy who eats junk food for dinner when no one is here to cook for him."

"You done yet?"

"Not until I can hear about what's bothering you," I said, taking a seat that was a little closer to him. "And face towards me, will you?"

"I'd rather not."

I sighed and hung my head, but remained determined to hear him out, even if he wasn't willing to tell me about his problems for my sake.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong," I said, inching closer to him in my seat.

"You'll be here all night," he said, still refusing to face towards me.

"If that's what it takes, then I'll do it. I can't just let you hear about all my problems and stuff with nothing in return. If I do that, I'll have to owe you some big favour in the future, and I'm not letting you extort me for favours like this!"

"Heh, I wasn't planning on doing that, but now that you mention it-"

"Dart!"

"What do you want to know, Rebecca? I've had problems forever! I've always been the problem child in this family, anyway, so what difference does it make if I let you hear about all my troubles!"

"Gods, you're like a kid, you know that?!" I groaned, feeling my hands curling up into fists. "I want to hear about it because you're my brother and I care about you! There, I said it, a cheesy family line that people only ever say in movies and TV shows."

He remained silent, so I figured that I'd continue with my little rant. "Remember what I said before? There's a difference between a bro and a brother. I know it's more of a guy thing anyway, but you aren't a bro to me, you're my brother. If something's hurting you, I want to hear about it because it'll hurt me to see you in pain. Sure, you'll probably hold this stupidly ridiculous speech against me sometime in the future, but that doesn't matter to me right now. If I can see you happy, then I'll take all the teasing in the world."

There was a slight pause before Dart stood up from the couch and flicked off the TV. I don't know what he was doing, but he just stood there, facing the blank screen while standing. However, he spoke in a softer and quieter tone than I'd ever heard him speak in after that.

"Heh, you're right, I probably will make fun of you for this later on. I bet your readers will be disappointed too."

"I don't care about them right now," I said, also standing from my seat. "They just want to hear about Eddie and his thing with L'Arachel."

Then, for what may have been the first time in my life, I saw Dart turn around to look at me with glossy eyes. I was so stunned by the way his face looked, that I simply stood there with my mouth slightly hung open. Old, unwiped tear streaks ran down his cheeks, and he wore the most sincere yet melancholic smile I'd ever seen on someone's face. Just seeing him in such a vulnerable state left me feeling like _I _should be crying along with him, but I still didn't know why he was like this.

Without warning, I was suddenly wrapped in a muscular embrace. I actually squeaked a bit when he did because I was so unprepared for the action. I was so stunned that I literally couldn't hug him back because my brain couldn't process what was going on. He didn't seem to mind, however, and soon let go of me. Looking down at me, he smiled and mussed up my bandana before turning down the hall to go up to his room. Before he made his way up the stairs and out of view from where I was standing, however, he turned to look over his shoulder and said one thing before disappearing upstairs.

"You're going to be a great aunt."

* * *

Oh, brother-sister bonding moments, how I enjoy thee. Well, I haven't really had any as intense as something like this, but I've certainly shared some bonding moments with my sisters. Rare as they are, they're usually pleasant.

Anyway, what I was trying to accomplish with this chapter was not so much the progression of the plot (which I still got in the first half) but instead I wanted to show that there are always things that happen in the background of people's lives. Yes, Dart has been brought up a couple times, and yes, it usually had to do something with bullying Eddie or having sex with Kleine, but this had a more serious take on what goes on. There are consequences, and whether or not anyone had been thinking about Dart at all, his life kept going on, even if we weren't thinking about it. Maybe it seemed stupid and irrelevant to include that in the story, but this story is simply about life in high school, thus the story begins in the midst of everything, and it will likely end in a similar manner, though I have an idea of what I want the ending to be like.

Okay, too much philosophizing for one chapter :P. I'm thinking about starting next chapter with Rebecca and switching it to Eddie when it gets to the party, but I might just do the whole thing from Eddie's POV. Not sure yet, I have to see how these things go down since I don't want to rush the plot. I've said it before, but I still don't know completely what I want the end couplings to be yet, so don't be freaking out if it looks like I'm definitely going for one thing or another.

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	17. Remember to Forget

Would anyone say that it's unhealthy that I seem to get through an average of 2-3 anime series by the time I post a new chapter? My update schedule isn't gonna change regardless, but I just wondered if I should be doing other stuff on my free time… Then again, _Baka and Test_ was definitely worth it, _My Bride is a Mermaid _had some good humour (Masa~ except I didn't understand how an asian samurai could become a black yakuza swordmaster...), and _My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU_ was decent (teh lulz died down a bit after the first few episodes). I didn't really get into _Fate/stay night_ that much though; I don't see what all the hype surrounding it was. I guess that's four series...

Anyway, I just chose my courses for school, and if my updating schedule is anything like last term, chapters will start pumping out faster come September. I'll probably get a ton of writing done on Fridays since I have a four-hour break between classes…

Thanks to **Cormag Ravenstaff, Fireminer, **and** BritRecon** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Remember to Forget  
__(Rebecca)_

Hordes of students pushed and shoved as they attempted to squeeze through the front doors. The last bell before our winter break had just rung a few minutes ago, and everyone was eager to get out of school. Thankfully, Leo, Mia, and I weren't caught in the mosh pit of people clawing their way out the congested doorways, and had already started on our ways home, though I probably would have been too lost in thought to care about getting stuck in a squirming, writhing crowd of people.

"So, everyone knows what the plan is?" Leo asked from somewhere to my right.

"Yeah, it seems simple enough," Mia replied nonchalantly. "I'll signal Rebecca when to go wait outside and then you'll tell Eddie you need to talk to him about something in private."

"I suppose it is rather simple, but I had to make sure," Leo chuckled a bit cynically. "You've got the easiest part, Rebecca. You just have to look out for Mia's signal."

"Yeah, okay."

"Do you remember what the signal is?"

"…"

_*Whack*_

"Ow, hey, what the hell?!" I growled, turning to glare at Mia.

"Quit zoning out or this plan will go to waste!" she said, acting as though she hadn't just smacked me upside the head. "Seriously, you've been like this all day."

"So? You said I've been acting moody for the past week," I stated bitterly, rubbing the spot she hit. She probably didn't realize how much force she'd put into that slap.

"Well, you seem rather different today," Leo answered for her, stealing my attention. "You seemed depressed before, simply because Wil isn't here, but now you're acting…I dunno, like your head's somewhere else."

"Really?" I feigned innocence, hoping that I could play it off with some lame excuse. "I hadn't noticed. Guess I've just been thinking about stuff all of today."

They both gave me quizzical looks before shrugging and continuing where they left off. "Anyway, you know what the signal is, right?" Leo repeated.

"Er, something to do with Mia nudging Marisa and Gerik under a mistletoe and yelling about it?"

"It isn't "something to do with" that; it _is_ that, missy!" Mia nudged me playfully. "And you'd best not forget it! Clear that head of yours by the time I get to your place, got it? We can't have you messing this up; after all, it's for _your_ sake!"

Geez, they sure aren't messing around. Only giving her a simple nod, I let Mia and Leo get back to their planning and such while I lost myself in my thoughts again.

It should have been a simple day; well, simple in a general sense of what had to happen. I doubt the actual confrontation with Eddie will be anything resembling smooth. However, the plans for tonight weren't currently occupying my thoughts, and I couldn't imagine being able to clear my head by the time the party rolled around, or even getting distracted enough at the party to forget.

For whatever reason, the sound of snow crunching under my boots was a reminder of everything that had happened yesterday evening. With each step, it was as if, instead of a crunching sound, it was Dart saying those words over and over again.

"_You're going to be a great aunt."_

I can't even begin to describe how I felt after he said that, because I honestly have no idea. It was as if I blacked out after those words since I can't recall anything after that moment. Usually something like that would take a while to set in and I would end up furiously questioning him about it, but for whatever reason I feel like I heard what he said and simply stayed dumbstruck. Who among you wouldn't? I probably had a harder time registering his words this morning than I had last night, and even still I can't fully accept it.

Dart is going to be a father.

No, it seems more appropriate to say that he was being an idiot and got Kleine pregnant. I was starting to wonder why she hadn't been coming to school for the past week and a half. She must be at least a month in…

THAT BASTARD WAITED A MONTH TO TELL ME?!

…Breathe, Rebecca…just breathe… For all I know, Kleine probably didn't tell him about it until recently. I mean, if he had known sooner, he wouldn't have seemed so upset yesterday. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd found out earlier that day; after all, it would make sense given the circumstances.

Sixteen…no, I should be seventeen by the time the baby is born… Gah, it just sounds so weird to say that, even if this is all internal monologue! I feel bad that I'm making this about me, as well. I can't even begin to comprehend what Kleine must be going through right now. She's most likely scared out of her mind, trying to figure out what the best course of action is now that she's has the responsibility of a mother!

And Dart, too… I'm sure everyone will be giving him a hard time once word of this gets out, but that's possibly the worst thing that he should have to endure. Judging by how he was acting yesterday, he must be terrified for what's going to happen. I don't blame him either. He must know that no one will look at him the same way, and our parents are going to flip their shit when they hear about this.

Seriously, how in the gods' names am I supposed to focus on restoring my relationship with Eddie when my brother's world is coming crashing down on him?!

_*Thunk*_

"Holy crap, are you okay, Rebecca?!" Mia and Leo asked simultaneously from above me.

Wait, above me? That doesn't make any sense…

"Geez, you should watch where you're going, dummy!" Mia scolded, gesturing to the pole that I had apparently just walked into. But if Mia and Leo were on either side of me… Who builds a damn pole in the middle of the sidewalk?!

"Come on, Rebecca," Leo sighed, holding out his hand to help me up.

"Is this plan really gonna work with her head in the clouds like this?" Mia groaned, shaking her head into her hand.

"We can only hope," said Leo, hoisting me up as we continued on our way.

* * *

_(Edward)_

"You're still coming tonight, right?"

"Yes, Leo, for the thousandth time, I am still coming to Sumia's party tonight," I huffed into the phone while fixing my shirt. "Why do you keep asking me, anyway? It's not like I typically pass up on parties."

"I know, I just wanted to make sure since everyone else from the old group said they were. That and I didn't want to feel stupid if I swung by your house and you weren't planning on coming."

"Psh, whatever, my house is on the way, ya doofus," I laughed, knowing that he would have stopped by even if I said I wasn't going. He always has some dirty last resort to make me do things…

"Heh, just be ready in an hour, okay?"

"Yes, Mom."

_*Click*_

He just hung up on me… I guess saying bye isn't cool anymore, and of course Leo has to stick to the trends. Then again, I'm gonna see him in an hour, so it doesn't make that much of a difference.

I glanced at the clock to see that it was 8:02. I still had plenty of time before we'd get to the party, and it isn't like I have to do much to get ready; after all, there's no theme or anything. That's one of the quirks of being a guy: all we have to do is throw on something clean and we're good to go. Honestly, I still don't know what girls do that takes so long. I get that they would naturally take longer than guys since they have to put on makeup and stuff, but I've learned from strenuous research that L'Arachel takes an average of three and a half hours to get ready for a party. Change those hours into minutes and you've got my average…

With nothing really to do to kill the time, I flicked on the radio and slumped down onto my bed, losing myself in thought.

I bet the reason Leo kept asking if I was going was because Rebecca's going to be there. Normally I'd say something like he should know better that something as simple as that wouldn't keep me from a party, but I have to say that I _was_ considering not going because of her. It's not that I don't like her anymore, but after everything she said I just can't look at her without hearing those words echo in my head. I'm not trying to avoid her so much as I'm trying to keep from associating her with a bad person. I'll admit that I did avoid her because I was mad for about a week or two after that whole incident, but then it just became something I started doing subconsciously.

Heh, some best friend I am; I'm not even man enough to approach her about it or at least make amends. Actually, scratch that, she doesn't know I overheard her and Wil talking about that stuff, so really all I'd have to do is act like nothing happened and go on the way we were before. It should be simple, especially since we're so close, but maybe that's why it's that much harder to do. After all, being angry with someone you're close to is a lot worse than being angry with someone you hardly know, right? Seems to make enough sense to me.

The sound of the doorbell snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked at the clock to see that an hour had already gone by. Seriously?! It's only been two paragraphs since I last checked the time, not counting the short one about the radio and the one where I actually checked the time. I mean, sure, they were somewhat lengthy paragraphs, but how slow was my brain running if I only got that much thought out in this entire time?

"Hey, ready to go?" Leo asked after I'd cleared my head and answered the door.

"In a sec, I just have to grab something," I said, quickly going to the kitchen to get my bag of drinks. Once I'd thrown on some weather-appropriate garb, the two of us made our way out of my house and onto the snow-covered path.

Due to it being wintertime, the skies were already dark by about five o'clock. Large, puffy flakes of snow fell in a gentle manner, nearly covering our footprints after two steps or so. Thankfully, there was no wind, so the chill of the air wasn't quite so bad as it could have been. At some point we passed by some rabbit footprints with fox ones imprinted overtop of them. Honestly, that kinda killed the whole peaceful atmosphere that was going on.

"Hey," Leo said shortly after we'd left my house, "you're cool with tonight, right?"

That was…an extremely vague question. "Huh?" I responded in confusion. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be cool with tonight?"

"Well, because of that whole Rebecca thing," he said a bit hesitantly. I knew I was right about him asking if I'd come to the party. "I still don't really know all the details of whatever you were telling me, but I wasn't sure if you'd be willing to skip out on the party just because she's gonna be there."

"Can't say I didn't think about it," I answered truthfully, shrugging. "Usually I would invite L'Arachel to something like this, so I wouldn't have to worry about who's going since I'd be spending most of my time with her. Tell me again why I couldn't bring her."

"Come on, Eddie," Leo chuckled dryly, patting my shoulder as he did so, "you know that if you did, it would just make her the odd one out at the party. It's only our old group, since the last time we all got together outside of school was for the beach party."

"Yeah, but the populars still showed up."

"Think of it this way," he said in response to my stubbornness, "this is Sumia's party, right? Now, most of our old group, her included, are now dating or sort of seeing someone from the populars. I can almost guarantee that no one else invited their boy/girlfriend, not even Sumia!"

I wanted to complain about his logic, but since Leo is the logical one there was nothing to really complain about. His argument made sense, especially if Sumia wasn't inviting Chrom to her own party. That seemed like a big enough statement in itself, so I simply went with Leo's answer and didn't dwell on the matter any longer.

"Anyway," Leo spoke with the tiniest hint of smugness at having won that argument, "tonight's for old times' sake, like back when the popular people seemed like some distant pinnacle of the hierarchy that we all wanted to reach."

"That seemed oddly metaphorical of you," I chuckled, wondering why he was talking that way, "and what about Ike? Hasn't he always hovered around that peak of the high school food chain?"

"Yeah, but Ike's the anomaly of everything that stereotypical high school hierarchies stand for!" he continued in his weird tone. "And you're missing the point. A lot of the old group, you included, have only been spending time with the person they're dating and that person's friends. It's weird to think that when we melded into the populars to create some sort of super group we also split apart our old one."

"Can't say I really noticed," I said, but then that would have been because I was one of those people who spent most of my time with L'Arachel and her closer friends. Usually that included Boyd, since Feena is pretty close with L'Arachel, but there's really only so much stuff you can talk about with Boyd. He isn't exactly the brightest guy, so holding a conversation with him can be a challenge.

"Well, either way, tonight's gonna be one to remember," Leo chuckled, kicking some snow up in front of us.

I laughed in response and tapped on my bag. "Heh, that or it'll be good enough that we won't remember a thing."

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

By the time we got to Sumia's place, everyone else was there already, which is weird because we weren't particularly late or anything. Regardless, being the last couple of people in a group of twenty-three isn't such a big deal since there are enough of them to keep each other company when we aren't there.

We followed Sumia into the rec room when she came to answer the door for us. Now, I've been here a couple times, but I still think it would be easy to get lost in her house. I wouldn't say her family is rich, but they're definitely better off than most middle class people like myself. She only lives about a block away from the rich section of Ylisse, so I suppose it wouldn't be incorrect to call her an upper-middle class citizen, leaning more towards upper.

After making sure she didn't trip on the single step into the rec room, we received a loud greeting from our buzzed/drunken friends and had a couple of bottles instantly shoved into our hands. Hey, I'm all for free stuff, and if they're feeling generous, then by all means I'll take it!

"Eddie, come sit over here!" Kris called from across the room. I was wondering why he didn't call for Leo too, but then I realized it was because Nino was already dragging him off to a different spot.

Chuckling at her quick actions, I flopped down on the couch where Kris, Boyd, and Mia were sitting. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Gettin' our drank on!" Boyd laughed, forcibly clinking his bottle against mine before gulping it down.

"Yeah, but long time no talk," Kris said, running a hand through his blue hair. "Whatcha been up to for all this time?" I guess we don't really talk about this kind of stuff in Drama class.

Before I got the chance to answer, Mia bopped him on the head playfully. "Geez, you really are ignorant! For one of the school geniuses, you sure are a dumbass!"

"Hey, out of the four of us, I'm the dumb one," he chuckled, holding his hands up in defense. "Besides, I figured he'd be doing more stuff than chilling with L'Arachel, right?"

All three of them turned to me, and I couldn't help but grin sheepishly and avert my gaze. Truth be told, I really _had_ been spending nearly all my time with her. The only time I wasn't was when I went home or had plans with Leo, but more often than not I could be found wherever she was.

"Geez, talk about clingy," Boyd teased, leaning back on the couch. "I don't even hang out with Feena that much!"

"Oh, yeah? And how's that been going for you?" I challenged, feeling somewhat confident in my argument.

Boyd raised his head so he could send me a devious smirk. Truthfully, I don't think he's gotten past making out, so he and I can battle it out as much as we want, but we're in the exact same spot.

"Second base," he said so smugly that his teeth could blind the sun. "Bet you haven't gotten there yet, eh?"

"Not intentionally," I muttered, but he seemed to catch on and laughed his head off.

"So that's really all you've been doing?" Mia asked in surprise. "I actually thought you'd be keeping busy with other stuff too."

"It's not like that," I said, waving my hands for added effect (though in truth it really was like that). "I just spend my free time with her because…because no one else ever wants to hang out is all."

"I call bull," Kris said seriously, taking a sip of his drink in an almost sophisticated manner if it hadn't been for the fact that it was cheap beer. "You couldn't possibly be _that_ unpopular that none of us have wanted to hang out with you."

"Yeah, what the crap, Eddie?!" Mia butted in. "You, Rebecca, Leo, and I were all supposed to get together sometime, remember? Then you backed out of it every time we brought it up!"

Unsure of how to react to that, I decided to take a long, slow drink of whatever I was holding. I didn't really have a viable excuse for that, and I didn't feel up to explaining my situation to them. I'm surprised Leo hadn't told Mia about it, but then he did say that he didn't remember all the details. I should probably get better listeners for when I'm venting…

"Hehe, well, that's because…I…um…that is… Hey, Kris, how's Chris doing?" Smooth, Eddie, that's got to be the best transition you've ever come up with…

"Kris, how's Chris doing…" he muttered to himself before a lightbulb lit up over his head. "Oh, haha, sorry, that had me confused for a second. She came back last week since her winter break started earlier than ours, but I didn't want to invi-"

"Hey, stop getting carried away, he changed the subject!" Mia yelled. Sheesh, she's certainly getting worked up about this.

After successfully avoiding the topic of Mia's buzzed anger, the four of us actually had a relatively casual and normal conversation. I was pretty surprised in general that the three of them had been sitting together since they weren't one of the old trios, but I guess everyone wanted to catch up with each other so it was only natural that there'd be some mixed groups.

Mia seemed like she'd had the most unchanged life as of late. She still hung around with Leo, Rebecca, Sumia, and Marisa when she had the chance, and it seemed like her schedule mostly revolved around whichever one of them wasn't clinging to the side of their partner. Heh, I think Mia just needs to get a boyfriend so she can stop complaining about how much time we all spend with our respective others. It's not like she's unattractive or has a bad personality (if anything, she's pretty and fun to be around), so snagging a guy shouldn't be a problem for her.

Kris seems to be up to his regular antics as well, though he said he doesn't have quite as much time to make school playbooks and whatnot now that he has Lucina to worry about as well. It's not the nicest way to put it, but he's been trying his best to avoid his sister finding out about her. I suppose 'trying' isn't the best word to use since he got found out about two days after Chris came back here. He really is the dumbest of the four tacticians.

As for Boyd, well, I don't actually know what Boyd used to do before he was dating Feena. He's on the rugby team, but they don't practice when it's snowy like this, so I can't say for sure if his life is all that different than it was before. That being said, I'm certain that he didn't used to stay on his toes constantly because of Navarre and the other quiet guys threatening to knock him flat every day. I still can't figure out Navarre's issue with Boyd and Feena dating. I mean, if he doesn't like her like that, then he shouldn't be so hostile, right?

A short while into the conversation, Mia went off somewhere else, so the three of us guys had the chance to talk about dude stuff without her. Mia's kind of tomboyish, so I don't really think she'd have cared if we talked about that stuff in front of her, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Besides, I doubt any of you want to hear about who we think has the best boobs and ass and stuff like that, so I'll just leave the actual conversation out of this.

As the night wore on, everyone started getting drunker (obviously), and I had the chance to talk to nearly everyone. Of course, Rebecca wasn't part of the people I'd talked to, but strangely enough Leo wasn't either. I was starting to wonder where he'd gotten off to, so I drunkenly stumbled around the large room, thinking that for whatever reason I just couldn't see him. In hindsight, I was drunk and stupid, because he clearly wasn't in the room at the moment…

"Whew, cuddle closer, you two!" Mia cheered, causing me to whip around to see what the commotion was about.

"D'aww, how cute," Mark teased, though I couldn't actually see what they were all looking at from where I was standing.

I tripped over Donnel – who was sitting on the ground for no particular reason – as I made my way over to the small crowd of giggling drunkards and Natasha. When I finally got over to them, I couldn't help but get caught in the mob mentality.

Somehow, Gerik and Marisa had gotten into a position where they were both now sitting under mistletoe with bright red faces that would put the Christmas lights outside to shame. I doubt the redness had anything to do with the alcohol they'd consumed and could only imagine that having the entire crowd standing around and watching (except for Donnel, who still seemed to be doing nothing in particular on the ground) would be pretty embarrassing. As I started cheering them on as well, I felt someone tap my shoulder, and groggily turned my head to see Leo for the first time since we'd gotten to the party.

"Hey, can you meet me out in front of the house? I need to tell you something while everyone else is preoccupied with this," he said quietly so that I was the only one who could hear.

"Hah, gaaaaaay," I laughed, cupping my hands to my mouth to imitate the scene from _Community_.

"Oh, shut up and get your drunken ass out there," he groaned and shoved me away, which only made me laugh more.

I stumbled down the hallways until I found myself at the front entrance. How I managed not to get lost while being drunk is beyond my comprehension; at least, it is right now… I wasted no time in throwing on my jacket and stepping out onto the porch.

"Holy balls, it's cold out here," I muttered, crossing my arms for warmth. "Why did Leo want me to meet him out here? He could've just come with me… I should just wait inside until he gets here."

Turning around, I grabbed at the knob and turned it, but the door wouldn't push open. What the hell… That door definitely can't lock on its own… Did some jerkoff think it'd be funny to lock me out here in the cold?! Leo, you bastard, setting me up like this! As soon as I thaw out, your skinny, lightweight ass is mine, and not in the gay way that you were hoping to get from me by asking me to come out here!

"Achoo!"

My body stiffened at the unexpected sneeze that came from somewhere behind me. I hadn't seen anyone when I came out, and Leo said that it was just him who wanted to talk to me. That definitely sounded like a girl's sneeze though. Slowly taking my hand off the knob, I crossed it back in front of my body for warmth and turned around to see who was there. I was right in that it was a girl, but she was the last person I wanted to see.

"Edward," the green-haired girl sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue from her pocket.

"Rebecca," I responded, suddenly feeling much less inebriated than I had been only moments ago.

"I, um…I was hoping-"

"Did you put Leo up to this?" I asked darkly, keeping my eyes lowered from her.

"W-What? No…if anything, it was him and Mia who put _me_ up to this…" she squeaked, teeth chattering as she did so. I bet this is why he kept asking if I was coming, that douchebag.

I glanced at her face momentarily to see that she was avoiding my face as well. Her arms were pressed close to her body while she kept her hands up by her mouth for warmth. She'd never been good with cold temperatures, but I wasn't really concerned about that at the moment.

"So, what's this about, then?" I grumbled, figuring that the only way out of this would be to get it over with or go home without all the stuff I'd left inside.

"U-Um," she stuttered, looking up at me for a moment, "could we maybe sit down?" She gestured to a bench next to the door, so I sighed and nodded, taking a seat with hopes that this would end soon.

Rather than sitting next to me, she sat down on the other end of the bench. I expected as much, as she probably wasn't sure of what our boundaries were right now, so I didn't say anything. It wouldn't have set me off if she had sat next to me, but at least I know she's being sensitive.

"Care to explain what this is about now?" I sighed, leaning my head back against the wall.

"Right," she said quietly, taking a breath to prepare whatever it was that she had to say. "I, um…I just wanted to know…why you've been avoiding me so much. It's obvious that you weren't just being distant; you actually went out of your way not to talk to me in every situation over the past few months."

"Really? I didn't notice," I grumbled semi-sarcastically, rolling my head over to see her looking down into her lap.

"Don't give me that, Eddie," she squeaked sadly. "I don't know what I did wrong, but I hate this. You and I have never gotten in a fight that lasted more than a couple days, and even those were never at this level."

A pang of guilt struck my heart, and I started to feel bad about making her this upset. It was true, though; ever since we were kids, we'd always gotten along great for the most part. I didn't even realize just how long I'd been avoiding her, and she didn't even know the reason for why I was doing so.

But thinking of what to tell her set off all those echoes in my head again. All the hateful things she'd said about L'Arachel back at the restaurant three months ago and how she was supposedly looking out for me came rushing back into my brain. I felt my hands ball into fists as I was reminded of the anger I'd felt at the time.

"What should I do, Edward?" she sniffled before I could answer. "I want to make things up to you, but I don't even know why you're mad at me! You won't even give me the reason, so I can't apologize properly if it was my fault!"

"There's nothing you can do," I murmured loud enough for her to hear. "I may come to forgive you in time, but right now I still need space from you. Sorry, but that's the way it is."

I closed my eyes and hung my head down. Despite being mad at her, I still felt a bit guilty for treating Bec like this. I couldn't bring myself to say that I'd overheard what she said, because the only thing she'd be able to do is apologize until I'm forced to forgive her. It doesn't make sense for her to do something like that because if I'm forced to accept her apology, then I'm not truly accepting it in a sense. Therefore, it would be better to wait for a time when I'm actually ready to let it go.

A sob from beside me caught my attention, and I shot my eyes open quick to see her wiping tears from her face. Well, as if I didn't feel bad enough already, now I feel like absolute and utter shit.

"This is nothing to cry about," I said, softening my voice enough to let her know that I wasn't trying to make her upset. "I just can't…do this right now."

I ignored the sound of people walking up the porch and entering the now-unlocked front door to focus on the sobbing girl beside me. She shook her head and wiped away the streaks on her face with gloved hands before turning to look at me with glossy eyes.

"It's not that," she sniffled, breathing deep to calm herself down. "I don't know what to do about anything right now… I-I miss my boyfriend that I won't get to see until school starts up again, I can't figure out why my best friend is angry with me, and I have to support my brother in his ultimate time of need and vulnerability. I have no one to go to because none of you three that I would talk to about my problems are able to listen right now, so everything is getting jumbled into one completely _fucked-up_ mess!"

After crying out those last words, she fell into her hands so that she could cry away without me seeing her face. Honestly, I had no idea what she was talking about with her brother, but it didn't seem like the most appropriate time to be asking. I kept my mouth shut and turned to look down at my feet, feeling uncomfortable while she sat there crying. What do you do in a moment like this? I can't forgive her out of pity because she's upset, but I can't exactly just get up and leave her crying out here by herself. Man, who'd have thought that something like this could sober me up so quickly?

We sat like that for some time before Rebecca finally stopped sobbing. I wasn't able to decide what to do, so I simply sat there with her on the other side of the bench. I wanted to look up at her, but somehow I couldn't even bring myself to lift my head above my shoulders. That is until she stood up without warning, forcing me to look at her in surprise.

"Tonight was a bad idea," she let a sad chuckle escape from her lips. "I was having my doubts about tonight, but Leo and Mia convinced me to come for this stupid plan. Now look at me: I'm a shivering, blubbering wreck that shouldn't have even tried talking to you. I had a feeling this wouldn't work, and now I've just gone and upset myself."

She took a few steps towards the stairs of the porch, and out of instinct I jumped to my feet and called out to her. "W-Wait, where are you going?"

Stopping where she was, she turned her head slightly so that I could see the side of her face as she spoke. "I'm going home. This was a stupid idea, and I shouldn't have agreed to it after everything that happened yesterday."

Before I could stop to think for a moment, I reached out and grabbed her shoulder before she could take another step. I whirled her around, and her eyes were wide with confusion as they met mine.

"What are you doing, Eddie? You didn't seem to have anything more to say to me, so why are you stopping me?"

"Bec, I…" I said quietly, trying hard to keep from hanging my head in shame. "I can't just let you leave like this. At least let me walk you home or something."

"No, it wouldn't make sense since you're mad at me," she argued, forcibly shaking off my hand and starting towards the steps again. My feet seemed to act of their own accord again, as I cut her off in front of the steps and blocked her path.

"It's dangerous to walk around at night by yourself, especially since you live two cities away," I said, holding my ground against her.

"I know a shortcut that'll take me forty minutes tops to get home," she said, trying to duck around me to no avail. "You don't owe me anything, Edward, so just go back to the party and forget we had this talk."

"Rebecca…I-"

"Oh, crap, I'm outta here!" someone shouted from the doorway of the house.

I didn't get the chance to see who said that, but whoever it was clearly wasn't looking where they were going, as I found myself flying backwards off the stairs in the next moment. They must have crashed into me as they ran out of the house, except…Bec was standing in front of me, which means that this isn't the idiot that ran out falling into me, it's-

"Mmf!" I grunted as I hit the ground at the bottom of the steps pretty hard. Luckily there were only about ten steps and some snow to land in at the bottom, but that's still a far fall when you aren't expecting it.

I knew there was something wrong when black spots started to impede my vision, and everything started to get blurry. My focus was fading in and out, and the only sensation I could feel was the tingling of something warm against my face: more specifically, my lips. The last things I remember were the warmth leaving my face, two, bright orbs of green against the black, snowy night sky, and the muffled sound of someone frantically calling my name before I passed out…

* * *

Yikes, what an odd turn of events. I say odd because I can't say unexpected or interesting since I knew what was going to happen and don't want to seem full of myself. I didn't expect to write those few swear words in there, but as I was writing, I kept thinking "they're teenagers, and teenagers swear", so that's why it's there :P. More importantly, I only put it in spots where they were in frantic situations or states of mind, which is usually when someone might decide to swear anyway.

I'm just gonna recap the side story bits because I was happy to write a bit about them, even if there hasn't been much talk of them lately. It's also so you guys know that I am still thinking about these things. #1: GMT love triangle is still going, and Gerik and Marisa are still embarrassed to do stuff in front of crowds (remember, Gerik only kissed her on the top of the head at the restaurant, which hardly compares to making out with her in front of all their friends). #2: The quiet people are still harassing Boyd, and I do have something planned for that in a future Rebecca chapter (it'll probably be somewhat soon, actually). #3: Chris is back for winter holidays, and she's bugging Kris about Lucina. While that doesn't seem to be very important, there's relevance for it in the very next chapter!

So, yeah, quite a few things that went on with this chapter, even if it may not have seemed like much initially. I really liked writing this chapter, so hopefully it was up to standards with the last one (which I also really enjoyed). You'll have to let me know, though!

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	18. Delirium in the ER

It's been a long week… Two weeks since I updated this, but week since I last updated my other important story. I'm so tired, and I honestly can't wait until I don't have to work anymore. My last day of work is the 23rd, so I may or may not be able to get a couple of chapters out in those last ten days of summer. It all depends on how often I'm home; after all, I haven't had any real time off in the past four months…

Oh yeah, GS fans (I think only BR and whatever bearclaw is going by now since Mr0cheese dropped off the face of the earth…), I posted a couple stories this past week. I know bearclaw saw the first one, but the second one is more serious and stuff, so have a look if you're interested.

Thanks to **Fireminer, Cormag Ravenstaff, **and** BritRecon** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Delirium in the ER  
__(Rebecca)_

Uncomfortable silence. We were sitting in a room where the only sounds were the echoes of distant footsteps in the hall and the buzzing of the lights above us. The white walls and glossy floors were bland and uninteresting, and the air smelled stale. Not one person in the whole area had said a word in over an hour.

What a way to spend the night… First, I'm forced into some crazy confrontation with Eddie, then I'm bawling my eyes out because of all the shit that's been going on in my life, and now I'm sitting in a hospital while Eddie gets checked up on…

Well, I suppose there were a fair amount of things that happened between me crying and sitting in a hospital.

"Hey, guys, I'm really sorry about all this, but what's the use in sitting around in here? He's probably not gonna come to until morning," Kris, who was seated across from me, tried to reason. He shrunk back when the rest of us glared at him.

"This is your fault, dumbass," Mia spat from the seat next to me. She isn't usually one to lose her bubbly persona, so seeing her like this is strange.

"I know, I know, but-"

"Stop talking, Kris," Leo grumbled from beside me. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"I'm sorry!" he apologized frantically. "I don't know what you guys want me to do, though! I should've looked where I was going!" He glanced around anxiously until his eyes locked with mine. "At least you're okay, right, Rebecca?"

"Shut up," I growled, not wanting to be a part of his excuse. It wasn't like I was in the best of moods either.

"I feel a bit at fault here as well," a blue-haired girl next to Kris said apologetically. "If Cormag and I hadn't shown up to bug Kris, he wouldn't have run out in the first place."

"Don't blame yourself, Chris," Leo rationalized with her. "We were all happy to see you two show up. It was your brother's idiocy that landed us here."

Chris smiled slightly and patted a slumping Kris on the back. For twins who apparently bicker a lot, they seem to be getting along pretty well right now. Kris probably exaggerates how much his sister gets on his case about things.

"Not to go against the group here," a blond guy sitting next to Chris with his arms crossed said, "but I kind of have to agree with Kris on this one."

The five of us all glanced at each other before turning to him. "Which one, Cormag?" we asked in unison.

"Boy Kris," he answered. "He may be the reason we're here, but he's being rational. We've been sitting here for just over an hour, it's two in the morning, and Eddie probably won't be up until much later, especially if he has a concussion."

Mia opened her mouth to protest, but closed it as the words began to sink in. I wanted to argue as well, but what he was saying made quite a bit of sense. Even if Eddie's head had recovered from its fall, he'd still be sleeping normally right now. If that were the case, then we were basically just sitting here waiting for him to wake up.

"You guys go on if you want," Leo said after that short silence. "I have to make sure he gets home safe in the morning. His mom's probably gonna kill him, so I can clear things up with her when that happens."

The three sitting across from us all murmured amongst each other before turning back to him. "Are you sure?" Chris asked. "Cormag and I didn't have anything to drink, so we can drive you home."

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I'll just sleep in here if I get tired," Leo said with a dry smile on his lips. "You two should go with them," he said to us.

Mia nodded and stood up with the other three, but I stayed where I was seated. "I…um…I-I'm gonna stay too," I stuttered without thinking too hard about it. "I fell on top of him, after all."

With nothing more than a simple shrug and a nod, they said goodbye to us. I felt Mia's arms wrap around me as she whispered that she'd call me tomorrow when things weren't so hectic. Waving the four of them off, Leo and I stayed still where we were, like statues waiting for eternity.

"You don't think we'll get in trouble…for drinking, do you?" I whimpered to him.

"I wouldn't worry about it," he brushed it off easily. "He's not in here because of alcohol poisoning, so I don't think they'll say much about it. If underage drinkers got in trouble for every occurrence, I think cops would be getting paid a lot more."

I felt my lips curl up a bit at that, and let the tension of that thought ease out of my system. Unfortunately, that wasn't what was on my mind. I really wanted to make sure Edward was okay, but there was no way of doing that. When we'd brought him in, the doctor said that they would take good care of him, and that was a pretty good indication that we could leave.

"So, did you two clear anything up?" Leo asked suddenly.

"Oh, uh, not really," I mumbled loud enough for him to hear. "Things got a bit…complicated."

"Well, yeah," he chuckled briefly, "I mean, did you think the two of you were just going to kiss and make up?"

Why, oh why did he have to word it that way? Of all the things he could have said, he had to throw in a 'kiss and make up'! I couldn't help blushing as those words left his mouth, jetting themselves into my ear as I revisited the memory of us flying through the air.

It was like everything had happened in slow motion. I wasn't able to scream because my lips were pressed up against something, and my eyes were closed at the time. All I remember before that was Eddie trying to stop me from leaving before someone crashed into me from behind. I hadn't tried to kiss him, but the unexpected force just so happened to push me right up into his lips. When we landed, I didn't even think about it; I just wanted to make sure he was okay, which he wasn't. I was able to tell he was gone when his eyes sort of glazed over dreamily.

"Rebecca? You okay?" Leo snapped his fingers in front of my blushing face a few times.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," I stuttered. "I was trying to replay everything in my head."

"It's fine," he reassured sincerely, squeezing my hand for comfort. "It seems like there was a lot going on. I just want to know why you and Eddie were standing in front of the stairs in the first place."

My cheeks were heating up a lot more than they should have been at that. We weren't standing there for any particularly embarrassing reason, but…he tried to stop me. He wanted me to stay even though he was mad, even though he wasn't ready to forgive me, because…well, I can't say for sure why he did. Because we're friends? Or maybe he simply didn't want to see me hurting more than I already was…

"We… I mean, I was about to leave… Things weren't going out as planned, and I didn't want to stick around if he was just going to stay distant from me," I said, half telling the truth.

"I see," Leo spoke softly, staring blankly at the ground in front of us while he thought it over. "Was he angry?"

I scratched my head and readjusted the scarf around my neck to buy a few seconds' worth of time. "Not especially… He seemed a little pissed off, but that might have been because he was locked out with someone he didn't want to be with…"

"Heh, I bet he wasn't planning on having you land on top of him either," Leo chuckled again. This time, however, he definitely noticed the red hue of my cheeks. "Hey, now, it wasn't like you did it on purpose; you weren't forcing yourself on him."

"I know, it isn't that," I said thoughtlessly before realizing what I'd just done.

"Oh? So, something else happened?" Leo inquired. I wish he weren't so sharp, but that's Leo for you.

I sighed, slumping down a bit as I pondered whether or not to tell him. "You…promise you won't laugh?"

"Rebecca, have I ever laughed at any of your problems before?"

"…Well, there was that one time-"

"Aside from that."

Sighing again, I looked him in the eye and could tell that he was being serious. "No, I suppose you never have."

He smiled back at me, and I couldn't help but do the same. "Well then," he coaxed, "let's hear what happened."

Taking a deep breath, I turned away, as I couldn't bear to face him with what I was about to say. "Um…well, when Kris bumped into me…I fell into Eddie…and…and…"

"And what?" he asked when I trailed off.

"It wasn't a kiss; it's just that our lips happened to squish against each other when I fell into him!" I blurted suddenly. Realizing what I'd done, I slapped a hand to my mouth and felt my face switching back and forth between tomato-red and ghostly white.

Leo, on the other hand, simply cocked his head a bit and raised an eyebrow. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it didn't look too reassuring. He didn't seem to be making fun of me, but he was also giving me this I-don't-believe-you sort of look. We stayed like that for quite some time before Leo opened his mouth to speak.

"So…what you're saying is that you accidentally kissed after Kris crashed into you."

I jerkily nodded my head, unable to speak properly after that outburst.

"Okay… Was it any good?"

At that, my colour-changing face settled on red, both for anger and embarrassment. "What kind of question is that?!" I demanded, shoving him over a bit. "We basically smashed heads with each other, and you're asking if my lips accidentally touching his was any good?"

"Would you be getting so worked up if it didn't leave some kind of impression?" he asked without a hint of smugness. Honestly, how someone can be so serious about this type of thing is beyond me.

"Of course it left an impression! I'm traumatized because it might be the last thing he remembers before passing out!"

"Then you can just tell him when he wakes up, assuming he remembers, of course."

I don't know what kind of mind games Leo is trying to play with me right now, but I'm really not in the mood for them. I think he's just a bit delirious. I probably am too, but that doesn't mean I can't see that he's got some kind of ulterior motive.

"What are you trying to pull with me, Leo?" I grumbled angrily, folding my arms in front of my chest.

"Absolutely nothing," he answered in the same serious manner he'd been speaking in the entire time. "I just want to make sure you two can go back to being friends. If this 'kiss' left a lasting impression, then it would be best to clear that up with him, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but you're being real pushy about it."

"Maybe, or maybe you're just tired and grumpy," he chuckled, resting his head on the back of the chair. "Either way, your best move would be just to wait until he wakes up. That way, we can find out how much he remembers."

"Do you actually think he'll tell me if he remembers us kissing?" I asked grumpily.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to share whatever he tells me," Leo chuckled drearily, closing his eyes as he did so. "Why do you think I'm here, anyway? Wake me up if there's any word on him."

I didn't even have a chance to say anything before Leo's breaths became slower and heavier. Geez, he must've been really tired. Only he could be so intellectual when he's that close to falling asleep.

I was surprised by the fact that I wasn't passing out, given how tired I was feeling. Stealing a glance at the clock on the wall, I sighed at the hands pointing to three o'clock. This waiting room had absolutely nothing to keep me occupied in the slightest, and I didn't feel like bothering Leo. It was silent again, only this time I was alone.

I did my best to play the conversation with Leo over in my head, but only certain parts made it into my fatigued mind.

"_Would you be getting so worked up if it didn't leave some kind of impression?"_

Was he really just asking that as a simple question? He didn't have to go through that stage to tell me I should just clear things up with Eddie. In fact, he didn't have to tell me anything; I already knew what I had to do! But…in a way, I could see why he had asked me that…

Believe me, I am fully devoted to Wil, and can't wait until he gets back from his trip, but there was something different about Eddie. I know that we didn't really…y'know…but the sensation with Eddie was completely different from how I feel when I kiss Wil. No, I must be overthinking this; I haven't kissed my boyfriend in two weeks, so obviously a sudden kiss from someone else would feel great, right?

Crap, I just told you that I thought it was great… I swear to Roland, if Leo finds out about this, I will hunt you down…

But, yes, I admit it was more than I ever thought it would have been. Even if it was hardly a real kiss, the feeling of his lips pressed against mine was just so…so…exhilarating. I can't believe I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Is it because we've been so close for so long? No, I've known Wil for almost as long, and I didn't get these feelings even when I started liking him! Why is this feeling so different? I definitely haven't been holding back feelings for Eddie, I'm sure of that. I have to know what this is all being caused by, and I'm tempted to go find Eddie to actually kiss…

What the crap am I saying?! I can't just waltz into some room he's probably sleeping in and try to kiss him! Not only would that be betraying Wil's trust by cheating, the whole idea is just super creepy, too!

Shaking my head, I stole a glance at Leo's sleeping face. Had he planned this? Did he secretly want me to have some sort of thing with Eddie? I can't imagine why he would want us to, but… Maybe I am overthinking things. After all, he was probably just kidding around when he asked if our kiss was any good. I don't think he'd say something like that seriously, given that we're now sitting in a hospital because of it…

"Oh, you're still here," a woman's voice said from beside me. I looked over to the hall where one of the nurses that helped the doctor take Eddie away was standing.

"Yeah, uh…" I started awkwardly, unsure of what I should say. "Is Eddie… Is he alright?"

She gave me a warm smile and gestured for me to come over to her. "He'll be just fine. You're welcome to come and see him if you'd like."

Nodding, I moved to wake Leo, but paused for a moment. This could be my chance to see Eddie without Leo hovering around. It's likely that I won't get another opportunity like this for a while, so my safest move would be to leave him. As long as he doesn't wake up before I get back, it'll be like nothing happened.

Resolving to wake Leo up a little later, I stood and followed the nurse down the hall.

"It's nothing too serious, but your friend does appear to have a concussion," she said as we rounded a corner. I winced a bit at her words and bit my lip. "It isn't severe enough that he needs to stay here, so you can take him home after he wakes up. However, someone is going to have to monitor him every hour when he's sleeping. We need to make sure all his body is still performing homeostasis while he is unconscious."

I wasn't completely sure what that meant, but I got the general gist of what she was saying. I exhaled a breath I'd been holding when she said he'd be well enough to take home. Leo was right in what he said earlier, though: Eddie's mom is probably going to kill him. Maybe we should tell her that she can't yell at him. It probably won't help his headache if she does, anyway.

We stopped in front of a room that had the door open wide. From the hall, all we could see was the foot of the bed, however. The nurse gestured for me to go in, so I thanked her and hesitantly took a step into the room. She left me to go off somewhere else, and that was when I froze on the spot. My hand was still gripping onto the doorframe, and I'd hardly even gotten past the threshold.

Why was my heart beating so fast? I feel…strange…like there's something churning in my stomach. I don't feel like I need to throw up, but it's just an odd feeling…

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my back foot and slowly brought it in front of me, silently placing it back on the floor. I was moving at a snail's pace to get into the room where Eddie was, and yet I couldn't help but feel as though I were entering too quickly. Maybe this was a mistake. I probably should have woken up Leo or waited until morning when everyone was awake. Besides, what was the point in coming in at three in the morning?

With each minimal movement into the room, more and more of the interior revealed itself to me, though the most nerve-wracking item was the bed. The fact that I could see Eddies body beneath the covers made me want to leave as fast as I could, and yet it also spurred me to go in. He was just an incomprehensible lump under those covers, and I couldn't see any of his actual body, but the idea still scared me.

I really have no idea what's making me so nervous. I want to believe that it's simply because I don't want to face my friend lying in a hospital bed, but Leo's words kept nagging me, and I'm afraid that that is the reason for all this anxiety.

"_He left some kind of impression on you,"_ my mind spoke out. No, it isn't like that!

"_You're nervous to see him because you don't understand your feelings." _Shut up! I'm dating Wil! I like Wil!

"_But Eddie's kiss was so much better than any of Wil's were." _We didn't kiss! I was frantic at the time!

"_Exactly. You didn't even kiss and you were panicking. It was hardly intimate or meaningful, yet it was better than Wil could have done when he's trying."_

By this point, the only thing the wall was stopping me from seeing was Eddie's head resting on the pillow. I couldn't argue with my thoughts anymore. Is this what happens in a state of delirium? It has to be! I know that I like Wil! I'm just having stupid thoughts because I haven't talked to Eddie in forever and then we suddenly got thrust into something like that! Obviously I'm a little dumbstruck…right? I…I don't like Eddie that way… One kiss couldn't possibly have done that… Wil…

I started to back out, allowing the wall to cover Eddie's shoulders and chest again.

"You're not going to see him?"

I whipped around, but no one was there. I could have sworn I heard Leo's voice, but it didn't look like anyone was there. Leo couldn't have known where this room was, either, and I didn't hear the nurse's shoes clacking down the hallway. Was it my subconscious trying to tell me to go on? Why would it be in Leo's voice…?

Gulping, I stepped forward and slowly turned my head to face towards him.

As expected, he was just lying there asleep, but I still breathed out a huge sigh of relief as my shoulders drooped and muscles relaxed. I knew he was going to be asleep, yet I kept acting as if he was going to be awake and waiting for me to come in.

Now that I was calmed about the situation, I easily stepped towards his bed in my regular manner. Pulling up a chair beside his bed, I sat down and looked at his face. Had he not just fallen down a flight of steps and passed out, he'd seem a little cuter than he actually is right now. Oh, shut up, you lot, I've called him cute before; this is nothing new!

The heart rate monitor beside me was beeping at a steady rate, and while I'm not completely sure what the numbers should be when he's sleeping, I know that sixty is the lowest it should be, so he's safe at the moment.

"_Come on, this isn't why you came in here," _the voice in my head started pestering me again. It's a good thing I know I'm tired, or all these voices would be freaking me out right now... I'm pretty sure schizophrenia doesn't run in the family.

"_You can't do something like that to Wil!" _ argued another. Oddly enough, the one egging me on sounded like Leo and the good one was more like Mia, so I'll refer to them like that for simplicity. Think of Leo as the devil on my shoulder and Mia the angel!

"_Eddie's asleep, Wil's out of town, and you know you want to," _Leo pestered. It's true, I do want to feel that rush again, or at least see if it was a one time thing.

"_Even if no one finds out, you'll feel guilty about it until you can't hold it in any longer!" _Mia countered. That's a good point, and I don't want to end up making them hate each other any more than they already do.

"_Geez, it's just a quick peck!" _Leo argued. _"You aren't making out with his sleeping face! All you have to do is quickly lean in, maybe even just touch lips again, and sit back down."_

"…" What, no comment, Mia? _"If you won't feel guilty about it, then there really isn't much of a problem." _Wow, seems just like the real her, giving in that quickly and all…

Eddie's face was so close and it would be quick. No one is around to see, and he's definitely fast asleep, so there shouldn't be an issue. It's like the Leo in my head was saying; I'm not making out with Eddie, I'm just checking to see if there's some kind of spark again! Even Mia agreed! Well, I mean, technically all of those voices were mine, so I guess saying that she agreed isn't really helping my case… Regardless, my mind's made up, so I'll get this done quickly.

Glancing back at the entrance of the room, I made sure no one was about to come in. I couldn't hear the patter of anyone's footsteps in the hall, so that seemed like a good sign that I was alone in this area. I turned back to Eddie's face and gripped the armrests of the chair as I stood from my seat.

"Just breathe, Rebecca," I murmured to myself. "This is a test, and it means absolutely nothing in terms of cheating or relationships."

Somehow that statement didn't seem to justify what I was about to do, but I couldn't turn back at this point. You don't often think straight when you're as tired as I am right now. Placing my hands gently on the bed, I leaned down over his face a bit. I could feel his hand through the covers beneath my own, and I blushed as I brushed some of his unkempt locks of hair into a tidier do.

This is it, Rebecca. If you wait any longer, he's bound to wake up…well, not really, but the longer I put this off, the more I'm going to question if I should be doing this or not.

Slowly, I descended my face down towards his. As I got closer, I breathed in his scent, and it sent shivers down my spine. For someone who was drunk and didn't have a chance to brush his teeth or at least have a mint or something he smells surprisingly good. As good as he normally would, though I wouldn't know since I haven't hugged him since the very beginning of the school year…

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest when our noses were about an inch from each other. There's no going back now, it would be pointless to have come this close to back down now. All I have to do is pucker up, lean in, and quickly sit back down.

…

Oh, gods, I just did it… Oh, gods, I just did it. Oh, gods, I just did it!

I'm a creep, I'm a pervert, I'm a gross cheating weirdo! I can't believe I just kissed my sleeping best friend while he's mad at me! I…I… Gah! There isn't even a way to accurately describe what I just did! Why didn't I listen to Mia's voice of reason? What will Wil say when he finds out? No, it may sound horrible, but I can't let him find out! But how…?

Slumping down in the chair and slapping my face into my hands, I could feel myself tearing up. I'm too tired to be doing all of this right now, and I shouldn't have been trying to make a decision like this. I should've been sleeping! In fact, I should be in the waiting room with Leo, snoozing away until morning (actual morning, that is, since it's technically 3:30am).

"Rrr…ruh…rrruh…"

My heart felt like it just froze over in that instant. All the tears that were welling up in my eyes sucked themselves back into my tear ducts and disappeared. I could hear my shaky breaths amidst the sounds coming from in front of me. Slowly, very slowly, I lifted my head as one fluid sound came from Eddie's lips.

"Rebecca?"

* * *

Short chapter is short. Sorry, guys, I thought this might have turned out longer, but I really couldn't think of any other necessary things to include in this. I definitely wanted the chapter to end this way, so I wasn't going to continue on. I know how I'm picking up on the next chapter, but I can't say how long it'll be. I don't have a set way to end it, though, so it should be of regular length.

Angst, angst, angst, nothing but good ol' fashioned, teenage angst. Now, if you're wondering why Rebecca was being so weird and wanting to kiss Eddie so bad, maybe you've never reached a point of delirium from being up too long. It's like that stage where everything becomes funny or you get paranoid about everything, depending on how you handle things. Either way, the way she was acting shouldn't have seemed that strange for someone who's delirious. I'm not speaking from experience of this exact situation, but I've seen some pretty weird stuff that would make Rebecca's situation seem pretty normal.

So, not quite so dramatic as the past couple chapters, but I'm still content with the way this one turned out. I only wish it could've been longer, but not every chapter can be a long one, I suppose. Next chapter is Eddie's POV!

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	19. Unending Secrecy

Woo, no more work! That's right, my last day of working was yesterday, and now I have the last ten days off before school starts up! I'm literally gonna do so much nothing that other lazy people will feel like they're working… That didn't make much sense, but who cares!

Anyway, what else is new with me… I watched _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ and thought it was pretty cool (except the 'Endless Eight' arc. Good lord, that was awful, but I had to watch them all to make sure nothing exciting happened in one of the middle ones…it didn't…) and the movie, _The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya_ was excellent! Everything was extremely well executed, but you have to have seen the series to understand what's going on. That being said, give the movie a shot if you didn't like the series, because I saw a bunch of critics that disliked the anime but loved the movie. So, yeah, there's my two cents.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Unending Secrecy  
__(Edward)_

Ow…my head hurts…a lot… What happened? Am I…in a bed? How did that happen? Last I remember was being at Sumia's party. I seriously doubt someone would have carried me to a bed if I'd passed out…

Slowly opening my eyes, I glanced around to find myself in an unfamiliar room. Light streamed in from the large window on my right and it filled the rather dull-looking room. I don't know who decorated this place, but white and grey are…pretty boring colours…

Wait…what's this clipped to my finger? It looks like one of those heart rate monitor thingies that they sometimes stick on hospital patients… Hold up…

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

What the hell?! Is that one of those heart rate thingies next to me?! What's going on?! Why am I in a hospital?!

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep!_

No mistaking it, this is a hospital gown! Why am I here? What happened?!

"Heh, seriously, man, how did you not notice me?"

I wanted to whip my head in the direction of that voice, but I remembered my throbbing head and looked slowly instead. Not that I particularly needed to, since no one would say something like that when their best friend is in a hospital except the blond guy standing there looking smug.

"Leo?" I groaned, my throat feeling a little hoarse. "What's going on?"

"Easy now, Eddie," he said as I started to sit myself up. "Here, lemme just prop you up with this remote thing."

I calmed myself a bit as he stepped forward. He reached for one of those hospital bed remotes before the bed slowly lifted, humming as it did so. After a few seconds, I was able to see everything more easily, and I tried my best not to freak out over the fact that I was in a hospital.

"First of all, how are you feeling?" Leo asked as he dropped the remote on my bed and plopped himself in a chair next to me.

"I feel like crap," I said, not entirely sure why, though. "It's not like a hangover or anything, but I have a crazy headache and I'm a little dizzy."

"That…sounds like a hangover," he chuckled lightly. "But I guess, given your current circumstances, it's probably more to do with your concussion."

"My what?!" I shouted, but cringed as the volume of my own voice hurt my head.

Leo looked like he wasn't sure if he should laugh at my pain or pity my condition, so he had this weird sort of shaky smile on his face. "Yeah, you took a pretty hard tumble down the stairs at Sumia's. You can thank Kris for that later. I guess it didn't help that…"

Huh, why'd he trail off like that? "'Help that' what?"

He shifted on his seat, looking away for a moment and chewing his bottom lip. Was he hiding something from me? Geez, typical Leo.

"Look, I don't wanna say anything I'm not supposed to," he began, confusing me even more. "Before I tell you, let me ask you something: How much do you remember from last night?"

Ignoring his weirdness for the time being, I thought back to the events of last night. Thankfully, I wasn't drunk enough to forget everything, so most of the events were still clear in my mind. Donnel sitting on the ground still seemed to stick out, though I'm not sure why, considering it was such an insignificant event. I guess I never got to see if Gerik and Marisa actually made out or not. My guess is that they did, since, y'know, they both want it; if I had a chance with her, I would…not while I'm with L'Arachel, of course…I'm not a cheater…

"Everything up until you made me go outside," I said, noticing that that was when everything went blank. "The last thing I remember is how cold it was when I stepped out, and everything following that is a complete blank."

His eyes showed a bit of disappointment when I said that. I watched as he scratched his head as if in thought, and tried to come up with something to say to me. Why had I even gone outside? I mean, I know he wanted me to, but I feel like there was a reason. Perhaps it's a part of my memory? I don't know. I should probably just wait until he thinks of something to say to me.

"So…you don't remember anything at all after you went outside?" he double-checked.

"Pretty much. It was cold as balls out there," I said with a grin, but he didn't seem as amused as me.

"Damn, I thought… No, never mind. Maybe if I said something that could help spark your memory… Oh! Maybe she could help!"

"She?" I asked, but then I noticed Leo pointing across the bed.

Slowly turning my head from the right side of the bed to the left, I gasped a bit at the sight that beheld me. My heart rate monitor also started going insane again, and it makes me wonder why none of the staff have come in if they're supposed to be keeping an eye on me. Well, assuming I'm in a critical state.

"Rebecca?" I said in shock, though the girl was definitely asleep, slumped in the chair like that.

"Honestly, Edward, how did you not see her either?" he chuckled a bit. I wanted to be mad, but it actually was pretty stupid that I hadn't noticed either person when I was looking around the room.

Of all people, what was she doing here?! I mean, it would make sense if we hadn't been fighting for the past three months! Actually, I guess that's more my fault than hers. She doesn't realize I've been mad at her. When I think about it that way, it's actually pretty sensible that she'd want to make sure her best friend is okay…

"So…" I said, still gazing at the green-haired girl while I spoke to Leo, "is seeing her supposed to spark something in my memory?"

"That's what I was hoping," he said, sounding a bit deflated from that question. "Nothing at all, though?"

I tried my hardest to think of what Bec would have to do with any of this, but as hard as I racked my brain, nothing surfaced. Sighing in slight frustration, I slowly turned back to Leo and shook my head. There would be no point in causing further headache trying to remember something that was no longer in my memory.

"Damn," he said sharply, looking back and forth between she and I.

"Did…did something happen?" I asked in confusion. "Like, did Bec and I get in an argument or something after I went outside? Honestly, I don't even remember seeing her at the party."

"She showed up late," he said, shrugging as he settled his sights on me. "But that's what I wanted to find out. The two of you were out there for a good fifteen minutes at least. Then Kris bursts out of the door and the two of you went flying off the staircase. She landed on top of you, so she was fine, but you must've hit your head on some ice or something."

"That explains the headache," I chuckled morbidly, rubbing at the sore spot on the back of my skull.

"Like I said, it's a concussion, but you're lucky it isn't a serious one," he said flatly, giving me a hard stare. If I'm being honest here, his expression was kinda freaking me out. Does he think I'm hiding something? Leo, I don't remember!

"Was that your plan, then?" I spoke up when his stare was becoming too uncomfortable to bear much longer. "To send me out and have some kind of confrontation with her?"

"I was hoping you'd make out."

"WHAT?!"

"Make up. _Up_. Simple slip of the tongue," he chuckled and raised his hand in front of him. Pfft, slip of the tongue, my ass, Leo.

I huffed and crossed my arms, pouting like a kid who wasn't getting their way. "If you wanted to know stuff, why didn't you just ask her?"

"Give me some credit, Eddie," he reasoned, softening his tone a bit. "If I had already found out what happened from her, why would I bother asking you?"

"Please, give _me_ some credit, Leo," I sneered back at him. "You're always trying to play some kind of mind games with us. There's always an ulterior motive with you."

I heard him sigh, and I can only imagine that he hung his head a bit. I'm not gonna feel guilty, because he knows it's true. "Fair enough, but I swear that she didn't disclose anything with me. I just told you pretty much all she told me, and she kept all the other details to herself."

I turned back towards the blond to see him with a serious look on his face. While that's pretty typical of Leo, I could see that he was trying to get through to me. Pursing my lips a bit, I shook my head again.

"Fine, I guess I'll believe you, but now you've made me curious about what happened as well."

As if on cue, some groans from the other side of me sounded, so I turned to look at Rebecca shifting around a bit on her chair. Man, I don't know how anyone can fall asleep in a chair that looks as uncomfortable as that one. She must've stayed here all night to be that tired! It makes me wonder what this place's visiting hours are like, though…

"I'll get out of here so you guys can talk," Leo said before quickly sneaking out of the room. Damn, I didn't even get a chance to tell him to wait.

Not completely sure what I could do in the situation, I watched as Rebecca yawned and stretched herself awake. It felt a bit awkward, but it was either watch her or stare out the window, and I've got a pretty crappy view of the building next door from here. Trying to keep my expression as blank as possible, I waited until she noticed me.

"Oh…Eddie, you're awake," she said tiredly. "Are you…feeling okay?"

"I guess," I said flatly, shrugging. "Uh, not to be rude or anything, but what are you doing here, Bec?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, seemingly not lucid just yet.

"Well…we haven't had a full conversation in almost three months… I'm a bit surprised to see you here."

At that, she seemed to wake up a bit more so she could give me an annoyed look. "Oh, and who's fault would that be? It isn't like I was the one avoiding you!"

I held up a hand to her before she started getting too worked up. With a slight look of remorse, she slumped back down and calmed herself a bit.

"I was worried about you, okay?" she grumbled, keeping her eyes off of me.

Neither of us said anything for a moment, allowing the low hums of and beeps of the machinery to fill the silence of the room. I didn't know exactly what to say, and it didn't look as though she wanted to say anything. Had I pissed her off or something? I wish I knew.

"Hey, um, Edward," she stuttered a bit, sounding almost…shy? "Do you remember…what you said to me last night?"

"Sorry, Leo was asking me that earlier, but I'm completely blank," I said calmly, though I was wondering what this sudden shyness in her was about.

"N-No…I don't mean at the party…"

Huh? What could that even mean? I've been out cold since the party, how could I have said anything to her? Was I talking in my sleep or something? I don't think she would have taken anything I said seriously if I had been sleep talking.

"Um…I've been asleep the whole time…" I stated awkwardly. "How could I have said anything to you?"

Her cheeks suddenly reddened, and she nervously chewed on her fingernails. Something was up, this didn't seem right. Could she have dreamt that I said something strange to her? More importantly, if this was making her act all weird, it had to be something pretty intense.

"Sorry, I'm a bit confused," I chuckled to lighten the atmosphere a bit. "Could we maybe back up a bit? I don't even know what happened once I was outside of Sumia's place."

She smacked her pink cheeks and took a few deep breaths before turning to me. Man, she is acting super weird right now. She seems oddly…girly. I know that's a horrible thing to say about her, but she's usually like a watered-down Mia. You know how Mia is, so seeing either of them act girly is just…well, strange.

"So, then, does this mean you don't remember anything…like, at all?" she asked, bringing her fingers up to her lips. Again, acting weird and being girly…

"Nada," I clicked, pointing a finger to my head. "Did you expect me to after the supposed tumble I took? You're just lucky I was there to be your cushion."

Again, she started blushing madly, and she pressed her fingers against her lips a bit harder as she shut her eyes tight. Geez, what is up with her? Did she get sick or something? Maybe she did hit her head when we fell down the stairs. I really hope Leo wasn't lying about any of this crap he said earlier or I might sound like an idiot right now…

"Bec, are you okay? You're acting pretty weird…" I said, finally getting too weirded out not to say anything. "Uh, if I said something while I was sleeping that made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry, but I was asleep so you can't really hold it against me, right?"

Shaking her head with her eyes shut tight, it looked like she was having some kind of mental breakdown. Holy crap, what could I have said to her?! It must have been pretty powerful if she took some random sleep garble as real conversation!

The chair squeaked as she suddenly stood up, her face looking like it might burst from all the redness.

"I-I'm sorry, Eddie, I think I need to get some air!"

Before I could call after her, she was out of the room in a flash of green and red, leaving me to stare confusedly out the doorway. I had my hand outstretched a bit with my mouth hanging open, ready to have called after her, but it wouldn't have mattered; she ran off too quickly for me to react. Only a few moments after she left, Leo sauntered in casually.

"Well, it looks like you sparked up something," he chortled.

"Tell me something, Leo," I said, still frozen in my position. "Do you know if I said anything while I was asleep?"

"Hm? Not while I was here, but I was only shown your room about twenty minutes before you woke up. When I came in, Rebecca was already asleep in that chair. She must've come to see you last night and then passed out in here."

Damn, so he wasn't here when we had this personality-changing conversation. Was it the fact that I was sleeping and didn't realize I'd said something to her that was making her act all weird, or was it what I had said? I really wish I could move quickly, but it probably isn't a smart idea.

"Hey, take it easy, Eddie," Leo said, noticing my clenched fists. "I dunno what went down, but she'll open up eventually. Anyway, I think once a nurse or doctor comes in to check on you, you should be cleared to leave. They said that you just need to be monitored every hour in your sleep, but other than that you're good to go."

I more or less ignored his info, as I was too concerned with what had irked Rebecca. Really, what could I have said that would have made her feel so…embarrassed? I don't know if she was embarrassed or freaked out, maybe even something else, but judging from the blush that's all I can come up with.

Honestly, though, I feel like Bec and I have known each other long enough that I can say whatever to her, so why would it have been weird? I'd assume she would just think I was kidding around if I had said something like…well, whatever I did, if I were awake. And the only weird things I can think of are things like: "I love you" or "Can I see your underwear?" or "I'm horny." I mean, I get that she might be weirded out by any of that, but not to this extent!

"Leo, have I ever talked in my sleep before?" I asked suddenly.

He must've been caught a bit off-guard, but rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "I don't think so. The most noise I've ever heard you make is some incomprehensible grumbles. Why?"

Oh, come on, do you even need to ask why, Leo?

"Well, Rebecca asked me something weird," I explained to him, settling back against my pillow. "When she woke up, she asked if I remembered what I said to her last night. I told her that anything that happened between us at the party wiped itself clean from my memory, but she said that it wasn't at the party…"

"Huh? Not at the party?" he said, reacting the same sort of way I had earlier. "But…you've been out like a light since you hit your head."

"That's what I'm saying, but apparently I said something to her at some point last night. I guess she came to check in on me and I started sleep talking or something. Only thing about that is-"

"-That you've never talked in your sleep before," he finished the statement for me. I nodded to let him know that was the conclusion I'd come to as well.

Now, it may seem a bit weird that Leo knows about my sleeping habits, but we've been inseparable since we were babies. Hell, we spent pretty much our entire childhood up through middle school staying overnight at each other's houses. That's how we both know about these sorts of things.

"Does that mean you woke up, then?" he asked, refocusing on me.

"I…I would assume so," I said, shrugging a bit. "I must've been completely dazed though. I mean, if there was still alcohol in my system and it was really late at night, not to mention this concussion, it makes sense that I wouldn't be completely lucid if I did wake up briefly."

"But still," he said, pondering on the facts we'd uncovered, "I can't imagine her getting so worked up over something. I mean, she's been acting a little weird lately, but not to the point where I thought she might get all embarrassed on you like that."

I sighed, unsure of how to draw some sort of conclusion from any of this. I guess the first step would be to find out what's been bugging her lately, assuming she actually has been acting weird like Leo said. Would it have something to do with Wil? No, can't be, he hasn't been here since the beginning of the month; then again, that could be the very reason why she's been acting like this. I doubt it, though. Bec isn't the kind of person to let just a little boyfriend troubles get to her like this.

"Maybe you should talk to her," I exhaled, figuring we weren't going to get anywhere with this. "She definitely didn't seem like she'd be willing to tell me anything, and now that she knows my head's a clean slate, she probably won't be so hesitant to tell you."

"Maybe, though I think she'd more likely tell Mia about it," he said, stepping away from where he was leaning against the wall. "I'll see what I can do, but for now… Ah, screw it, I wasn't gonna tell you, but it's been bugging me this whole time."

Hah, I knew he was hiding something. Friggin' Leo, always working in the shadows. At least he's on my side…most of the time.

"Spill," I ordered him, gesturing to the chair next to my bed. He grinned and plopped himself in the chair.

"Let's see," he said, leaning on one of the armrests. "I'm gonna be honest, this really is the only thing I didn't tell you about what happened yesterday. Rebecca didn't tell me anything other than that you guys didn't make out."

"Leo."

"Make _up._ You're ready to hear it then?"

"Yes, just get on with this, you drama queen," I huffed in annoyance.

"Heh, no patience, you," he chuckled. "Well, the two of you were out there, and from the sounds of it, things weren't going so in her favour. Then she got upset over something, which I can assume wasn't just you not forgiving her, and decided to leave. Apparently you cut her off for some reason, and then, hey, presto, you're tumbling down the stairs."

I went over that story in my head a few times. The room was relatively quiet while I did so, but there was something strange about what Leo just told me.

"Leo…this sounds…exactly the same as what you told me earlier!" I said when I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Oh, right, and she kissed you."

…I guess my heart rate monitor will have to make do in the place of crickets chirping.

Leo and I stared each other in the eye for quite some time. I couldn't believe what he'd just said. The fact that he wasn't smirking or anything meant that he was being serious. Sure, Leo's good at keeping a straight face, but he would have lost it by now if he were joking. In fact, he didn't even look like he was about to lose it any time soon.

"Eheh…heh…you're screwing with me, right?" I chuckled dryly. "Why… There's no reason she would have to do that."

"Well, it wasn't intentional per se," he added without any smugness.

"THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT?!" I shouted, trying my best to ignore the pain throbbing through my head.

"Relax, man, I just wanted to see how you'd react," he brushed it off. Geez, you are one hell of a character, Leonardo. "Anyway, it was when Kris ran into you guys. He ran straight into Rebecca, and since you were standing in front of her, apparently she got pushed right into you; more specifically, her lips pushed right into yours."

As those words left his mouth, my lips suddenly started to tingle a bit. It felt a bit like déjà vu, but why should it? Besides, it wasn't a real kiss; like he said, she just pressed up against me from the force of Kris bumping into us.

I could feel my face start warming up as I tried to form a question. I don't know why I'm blushing, and I really shouldn't be, since it wasn't intentional. I mean, I wouldn't cheat on L'Arachel like that, and I seriously doubt Bec would cheat on Wil.

"So…uh…do you think that has something to do with all this?" I stuttered a bit, attempting to will the redness from my cheeks away.

"Dunno," he said, scratching at his head. "She seemed pretty embarrassed when she told me about it, though. Not nearly as she was just a moment ago, but I don't think she wanted to tell anyone about it."

"But of course you managed to force it out of her," I scoffed.

"Not at all," he chuckled, settling in his seat again. "All I did was ask her what you and her were even doing in front of the staircase, and then she started getting all embarrassed. When I told her that her landing on you wasn't her fault, she said that she wasn't blushing because of that, and then ended up spilling the beans to me about that whole kiss thing."

I eyed Leo carefully, though his explanation seemed reasonable enough. Actually, there's no reason he wouldn't tell me the real story of how she ended up telling him, so I think I can take his word on this one.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go talk to her," he said as he stood from the chair. "Your clothes are just over there, so call me when the nurse lets you out."

With that, he left to go find our emotional friend, leaving me to ponder just what could have happened last night.

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

When I was finally cleared to leave, I met up with Leo out front where he was…alone? Wasn't he with Rebecca?

"Hey, ready to go?" he said as I approached. "Lucky the hospital is closer to where we live than Sumia's, eh?"

"Where's Rebecca?" I ignored his question.

"Hm? Oh, she left a while ago," he said nonchalantly. I really don't understand how he can be so calm and serious about things that are important!

"Well," I began as we started heading in the direction of our homes, "did she say anything important?"

I wasn't expecting a sigh from him, so when he did I began to worry a bit. His face didn't look all too happy, and it was hard to get a read on what he was thinking.

"Sorry, Eddie, but I promised her I wouldn't say anything," he stated a bit downcast. "Normally I'd give you little hints and stuff so you could figure it out yourself, but this time…it's a little different."

Did I say I was beginning to worry? Scrap that, I'm worried as hell now. Leo isn't going to use loopholes to help me out here? It must have been really intense for my bosom buddy to hold out… Shut up, it isn't gay to call him that!

"Is…is it really that serious?" I asked him shakily, turning my gaze to the pavement ahead of us.

"Parts of it," he deadpanned. "Believe it or not, the parts about what happened last night aren't even the heavy stuff. Well, at least I didn't think so. I guess she's just so worked up that what you said seemed really intense."

"Then this isn't all about me," I sighed in relief, though I still wanted to know what was going on.

"Yeah, but believe me, you're probably going to want to find out what you said to her. You're gonna have to hear it from her, though."

"Is she okay?"

Leo glanced up at me and gave a playful punch to my shoulder. "She'll get through it. She seemed a lot calmer when I found her. She was talking to Mia on the phone, and basically explained the whole situation to both of us. I think she just needed someone to trust."

Ouch. I can't really blame her for not coming to me, but it still hurts to know that she didn't. Then again, it sounds like I'm one of the reasons for all her bottled-up emotions. If anything, I'm glad that she found some people to talk to at least. Leo and Mia are definitely the right ones to hear her out.

"Anyway, I think it's time you let this Rebecca grudge go, hey?" he added cheerfully. "I know that the whole L'Arachel thing got you riled, but is it really worth tearing apart your friendship?"

I looked away guiltily, scratching at my face sheepishly. Since this morning, I had actually been thinking that. It's weird, I didn't feel mad at her anymore when I saw her sleeping there. Was it something that happened last night that made me forgive her? Whatever the case, I'll be sure to give her an apology for everything that's happened. I guess that means telling her that I heard her saying those things about L'Arachel, but I'll find some way to handle the situation peacefully.

L'Arachel…

Geez, I hope word hasn't gotten out that I was in the hospital. You'd think that people would keep it on the down low over something small like a concussion, but once one person tells, it'll never end. I'm just thankful that my phone hasn't gotten any messages yet. That's a good sign that no one knows, right?

"Looks like that's a yes," he said when I didn't answer him. "Anyway, you ready to face the wrath of your folks?"

"Oh, crap, I didn't even think about that," I said, realizing my mom would probably be super pissed. Then again, I didn't have any missed calls…she can't be that mad if she didn't call me, right?

"Heh, don't worry, I'll help you out," Leo laughed at my nerves, patting me on the back. "Besides, assuming word got out, I think you're gonna have a little more to deal with regarding L'Arachel."

"Nah, I don't think she'll be mad," I chuckled. "If word did get out, I'm sure she's more worried than upset, and you'd think she'd have called me. Actually, I'm wondering why no one has called me…"

"You probably busted your phone when you landed on it," Leo suggested as we rounded onto my driveway. "I bet if you get it fixed, it'll say you have, like, eighty missed calls and texts."

"I wish I were that popular," I chuckled, though I was feeling a bit nervous as we got up to the front door.

Pulling out my key, I fumbled with the lock a bit before it turned and opened for me. Slowly pushing the door open, the two of us quietly stepped in before a rather odd sight met my eyes at the top of the stairs.

"What the…"

"What's she doing here?"

"You bastard!"

Before I could react, a blur of green pounced into me and had me pinned against the door. Thank the gods I didn't smack my head, but I wasn't exactly comfortable in this vice-grip.

"W-What are you doing at my house, L'Arachel?"

* * *

Well, not a cliffhanger, but I'll leave it at that. Besides, this is the normal chapter length I was going for, since 5000 is about my average. Sorry for any mistakes, but I only had a chance to skim it before posting. I'll definitely go over it later when I get the chance!

Anyway, I'm not trying to downplay the next chapter or anything, but don't get too excited over L'Arachel's appearance at his house. Honestly the reason isn't going to be anything crazy, and the bigger deal at the moment is what happened between Rebecca and Edward at 3:30am. Can't say for sure if it'll get revealed in the next chapter, so you'll have to wait and see ;).

Next chapter I think will start in Eddie's POV and switch to Rebecca's, or vice-versa.

And this has officially become my longest posted story! Surpassing the 124k mark that I set with _What is Happiness?_, this is lengthier and still going!

Thanks to **Mr0cheese, Fireminer, Insharai, BritRecon, Cormag Ravenstaff, **and **Vapo** for reviewing!

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-GengaJupite_


	20. Yin and Yang

Ugh, school. Yeah, now that school's started up again for me, I'm not going to make any promises about an update rate. I assume I'll still be able to get stuff out every two weeks, but I can't guarantee anything.

Anyway, it isn't just school that's going to be taking up most of my time, as I've now got a composing "job" going with a few other fanfic writers. We're currently in development for a crossover visual novel with games such as _Kingdom Hearts, Golden Sun, Jak and Daxter,_ amongst others. While Fire Emblem isn't one of the crossing fandoms, you may be associated with one of the others, so here's a link to the site:

fandomallstars (a dot) weebly (a dot) com

Take note that it's still in the fairly early development stages, so there isn't too much to see on the site yet. And if you were wondering where I am on the list, I'm not going by my penname and I'm not a writer. Like I said before, I'm composing, so as of right now I'm the only one doing the music.

Okay, well, that's about all I have to say. Now you can't complain if I don't update on schedule anymore; actually, I'm going to say that there is no set update schedule anymore so that I can focus on whatever I need to.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

* * *

_Yin and Yang  
__(Edward)_

"What were you thinking?! Do you have any idea how many times I called you?!"

Yikes, L'Arachel seems oddly out of character right now. Then again, judging by what she's saying, it makes some sense. I still don't know why she's here though…

"I-I'm sorry!" I stuttered, using a bit of force to push her off of me. "My phone must've broke because I haven't gotten any calls or texts from anyone!"

Her expression didn't change, and I can honestly say that I was feeling a bit afraid. I'd never seen her get so angry with someone before, because she's usually that bubbly, flirty, upbeat girl that doesn't worry about anything.

"I think I'll go deal with your mom before she comes and does the same thing," Leo said, skirting past us quickly. Gee, thanks for the help here, Leo…

Briefly watching the blond leave, I hesitated to look at L'Arachel again. I've never exactly been in a situation like this, so I can't say I know what I'm supposed to say or do. Do I comfort her? Continue apologizing? Argue my case? I'm a passive person; I don't do these types of things!

"How did you even find out?" I mumbled the first thing to come out.

Taking her hands off my shoulders, she placed them firmly on her hips, getting into a stance that could only indicate that I was in for an earful. I don't mean your regular earful, because that would just be L'Arachel in a normal conversation. No, when I say an earful from L'Arachel, I mean that my ears may or may not be bleeding by the time she's finished talking. It might also be nighttime…tomorrow… Okay, now I'm just freaking myself out.

"Well, duh, everyone at that party was posting about it!" she shouted, emphasizing every syllable with some sort of hand motion. "Boyd even posted a picture of you getting wheeled into an ambulance!" Geez, that's Boyd for you…

"I thought you were busy," I said, trying to make up some sort of reason for why she shouldn't have seen it right away.

"Don't play dumb with me! If Boyd was talking about it, then he would have told Feena about it, and then she told a Serra about it, who had already heard from Mark, and…" and on and on she went. I get that she's trying to make a big deal out of how this news got spread around, but I don't need to hear how every person associated caught wind of what happened before it finally reached her. I mean, if the news had gotten to Feena and Serra right away, my assumption is that one of them would have told her before anyone else, right? That would be the considerate thing to do…

"…so I was, like, the _last_ person to find out!" she huffed after an unnecessarily extensive period of time.

"That doesn't explain why you're at my house," I said, trying to keep the topic off of me in the subtlest way that I could.

"I thought maybe you'd gone home after they checked on you at the hospital," she responded grumpily, crossing her arms. "Your mom let me in because she was worried about you too. I wasn't planning to stay here all night, but I ended up falling asleep in your room because you wouldn't answer your phone."

Well, it seems pretty self-explanatory why I wouldn't have answered my phone. If she saw pictures of me knocked out on a stretcher going into an ambulance, wouldn't that be an indication that even if my phone wasn't broken I wouldn't be able to answer it? I get that she was worried and probably wasn't thinking straight, but come on, she's in her right mind now.

"Sorry," was all I could mutter out. Honestly, I wasn't even sure what else I could say. Arguing that I was knocked out probably wouldn't be a very good idea right now, so my only option was to apologize.

"Hmph," she huffed, puffing up her cheeks and looking away from me. "You shouldn't go doing stupid stuff while you're drunk, Eddie. You aren't exactly the most graceful person."

Again, I could argue my point there, but that brought me to the topic of Rebecca. While I don't particularly remember what went down between the two of us, I'm aware that she fell on top of me and that we…"kissed". Somehow I feel like telling L'Arachel about why I ended up laying flat on the ice wouldn't be a good idea, even if I left out the Rebecca parts. It wouldn't really make sense for me to say that I was just standing at the top of the stairs for no reason when Kris came and ran into me.

It also makes me want to find out what I said to Rebecca in my state of semi-consciousness. Leo said to ask her about it, but it doesn't seem like something she might tell me if I do. I mean, like I've said before, if it was something strange enough to make her get all embarrassed and whatnot, then I can't imagine she'd be willing to share it with me just like that.

"Hey, pay attention when I'm talking to you!" she shouted, regaining my attention while also creating an irritable ringing in my ears.

"S-Sorry," I winced, placing a palm to my forehead, "I'm having trouble concentrating right now. Damn concussion."

She almost looked guilty for a moment there, which hadn't been my intention; however, she quickly reverted to her grumpy, scolding persona again and took up an unimpressed stance.

"It's your own fault, you know," she grumbled, keeping her eyes off of me. "You're smart enough not to go playing on the ice when you're drunk. If you can hardly stand on regular flooring, I don't know why you thought going outside would be a good idea."

Man, how much did people say about it? I almost feel sorry for what Kris must be going through right now. I mean, if I'm getting in trouble for being the victim, I can't even begin to imagine what he must be going through as the accidental instigator. Hopefully no one beats him up over it…not that I think I'm popular enough to have someone want to beat him up for me…

"I…don't know what you want me to say," I worded slowly. "I hardly remember anything, and I feel like apologizing isn't going to be enough for you."

Again, that look of guilt crossed her face, but it stayed longer than the brief one before did. We were in somewhat of an awkward position, so I didn't know if I should apologize again to drive my case or just stay silent. She didn't revert back to her angry look, but I noticed her look up at me a few times with a look of hurt in her usually cheerful green eyes.

As the silence between us continued, I uncomfortably shifted on my heels and darted my eyes around the general area. Unfortunately, there really isn't much to see from my front foyer. I was hoping I might be able to see Leo and my mom talking; thankfully it seemed as though he'd stopped her from coming in and ranting at me. That or the sound of L'Arachel already doing so deterred her.

"Hey…" I started, but couldn't think of anything I could say to her. Honestly, apologizing may be the only thing I can do in this sort of situation.

"I…I think I'm gonna go," she said very softly, her eyes flicking up at me for only a moment before looking back down. "My uncle is probably wondering where I am, anyway."

"Oh, uh…sure… I guess it wouldn't be good to keep Dozla waiting either," I chuckled dryly, though it didn't help the mood at all.

I moved out of the way so she could slip her boots on and go out the door. She gave me a weak, and admittedly pathetic, smile as she opened the door to leave. Uttering only a simple "See you later", she stepped out of my house as I waved to her.

Once the door shut behind her, I felt like collapsing from what I can only assume is mental exhaustion. As if the concussion and amnesia weren't already punishment enough, but now I have to deal with her being upset. I think she realized that it wasn't really my fault, but she wanted to get her frustrations out while she could. Once they were out, then she must have reasoned that I wasn't really capable of saying anything to make her feel better right then, which is probably why she got so bummed out. Damn it…

Instead of heading into the kitchen where Leo and my mom were, I trudged up to my room, carrying the weight of L'Arachel's and my own sadness up the stairs. I wish I knew how much of what happened yesterday she was aware of, but I don't know if it would have helped me explain anything better. The sad thing is that her knowledge of the party she wasn't even at is probably the same as, or possibly even better than, my own.

Pulling out my phone, I tossed it on my desk and flopped down onto my bed. Ooh, bad idea…that hurt my head…ow… *Sigh* I really hope everything just blows over quickly. Until then, all I can do is apologize; apologize to my mom, L'Arachel, and Rebecca…

* * *

_(Rebecca)_

Fresh air. I can breathe something other than the sterilized air of the hospital.

After rushing out of the hospital in what must have been the most flustered way possible, the cool, wintry air was nice and refreshing for my burning face. I could probably stay out here forever if my body decides to stay at this temperature.

However, I'd rather it didn't for…awkward reasons…

Looking around, I could see that I wasn't standing anywhere particularly hazardous, so I pulled out my phone more or less because I didn't know what else to do. I had to take my mind off of what just happened, or rather what had actually happened last night.

I could feel my face reaching a grossly hot temperature as I thought back on it. Try as I might to think about something else, my thoughts always came back to what he had said. I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about it either. He was in a stupor, after all! Of course Eddie wouldn't remember what he said. I'm fairly certain he isn't a sleep talker, but it isn't logical for me to think that he would be in his right mind if he did happen to regain consciousness that early in the morning.

Why can't I stop taking it so seriously?

It wouldn't make sense for him to say something like that, anyway! He has L'Arachel, and I have Wil! Well, I mean, that may have been the point in it all, but he wouldn't possibly say that on purpose.

Reading through my texts, there wasn't anything of much interest. Most of the recent ones were going over the stupid plan with Leo and Mia, and nothing else was really something I could have a laugh at or keep me occupied for the time being. Sighing, I stuffed the phone back into my pocket and squatted down in a little ball. I definitely shouldn't have stayed here last night.

I remained like that for some time, but realized that I wasn't going to get anywhere just by trying to will those memories out of my head. Gods above, why must you torment me so? I mean, with so many of them, you'd think that one of them would be merciful, but they all seem to be in agreement of torturing me with these ridiculous events…

Pulling out my phone again, I scrolled through the contacts until I got to the 'T' section. It doesn't really help that Eddie and Mia's names are right beside each other in my phone. In my awkward mindset, I accidentally tapped Eddie's name when I went to click on Mia's. Overreacting, I juggled the phone in my hands for a bit before I was able to end the call. Even the idea of speaking to him again right now is just leaving me in shambles.

Making sure to carefully select Mia's name, I hit the speaker button so that the residual heat from my face wouldn't make the phone get all foggy.

"_Rebecca!" _she answered enthusiastically. If that had been in my ear, I might have gone deaf. _"Is everything okay? Are you at home yet? I'll come over right away!"_

"N-No, I'm still at the hospital," I answered back. Gee, that girl can talk. "Everything's fine, though. Eddie's up, so he should be able to go home soon."

"_Phew, that's a relief!" _she laughed, though I can't see why she would be laughing about it. _"I thought you might be calling because something bad happened!"_

"I…well, nothing bad happened…but…"

"_But? Gods, Rebecca, something did happen, didn't it?! I'll come over there right now!"_

Why is she so crazy eager to come to my side today? "No, no, that's fine, Mia. It's just that…" I stopped, trying to think of the best way to say it. It doesn't help that she's being extra loud and concerned today. "Well, Eddie…he…"

"There you are," someone's voice rang out from behind me. Turning around, I could see Leo approaching; he had clearly been looking for me. "I thought you'd just gone back to the waiting room, so I got a little worried when you weren't there."

"Sorry," I said, turning back to the phone in my hand as if it would be more polite for me to 'look at Mia' while I was speaking to her.

"_Huh? Who's that, Rebecca?" _she asked from the other end.

"Hey, Mia, it's me," Leo greeted, stepping a bit closer so that she would be able to hear him a bit better through the speaker.

"_Oh, Leo! Just in time," _she said excitedly, almost seeming to ignore the fact that I was still there. _"Rebecca's being all weird right now and she won't tell me what happened last night. Did Eddie do something weird?"_

I gave Leo an odd look. He couldn't possibly have known what happened, could he? No, there was no way; he was still asleep when it happened. It's not like Eddie would be able to suddenly remember right after I dashed out of his room.

Leaning into the phone a bit, Leo scrunched his face in thought. "Uh, I wouldn't know; I was sleeping when whatever happened happened. She does seem a bit perturbed though."

"Hello, I'm standing right here!" I yelled so they wouldn't talk like they weren't having a three-person conversation on _my_ phone.

"_Well, why are you being so weird?!" _Mia asked loudly, and the image of her getting overly worked up formed in my head. It's almost funny how I know that she's probably doing exactly what I'm thinking right now.

"I-It's not only because of Eddie," I stuttered out, but almost instantly regretted doing so. Shit, I shouldn't have brought that up.

Leo seemed to perk up a bit at that. Clearly he had expected this to be all about whatever he thought Eddie may have said to me.

"Not just Eddie, eh?" he voiced carefully, making sure not to come off as pushy. "Do you want to talk about it? I mean, if all of your feelings accumulated to make you run off the way you did, then it's a little concerning."

"_You ran off?! Where are you?! You said you were at the hospital! I'm coming over there right now!"_

"Geez, Mia, will you stop it with that?!" I spewed, beginning to get annoyed with her oddly protective attitude right now. "I _am_ at the hospital. I just didn't want to stay in Eddie's room, and I guess I hurried out of there, which must've caused some concern for Leo."

"It wasn't so much you hurrying out as it was your expression," he mused, forcing me to tell Mia not to come here again. Sometimes I wonder if Leo is smart or outright stupid, because he really seems to be on both ends of the spectrum.

"_Fine," _Mia huffed, _"but can you tell us what's going on at least? I don't know how to deal with you if I don't know the reason you're upset."_

Hearing her finally speak like the normal Mia I'm used to, I sighed in relief. Leo gave me a reassuring look as he awaited my explanation as well. I suppose it can't be helped at this point, and it's probably in my best interests to let them know what's going on.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly explained everything that didn't happen last night. Beginning with my general feelings of missing Wil, both of them seemed to be pretty understanding. I wanted to say that that and what Eddie had said to me last night were the only things bothering me, but Leo made a point of how something like that wouldn't make me get so flustered, to which Mia agreed.

Telling them that Eddie being distant from me was also understood, of course, since they were the ones trying to get him to make up with me. That part really didn't take much explaining.

I hesitated for the third point, though. Was it really my right to tell them about Dart and Kleine? I mean, news will eventually make its way through the school once Kleine's size becomes more obvious than just gaining a few extra pounds, but it doesn't really seem like something I'm supposed to share with them. Unfortunately, this is probably the biggest concern for me right now, and I'm sure Leo can tell just by looking at me right now.

"_Rebecca?"_ Mia's voice chanted out. _"Leo, is she okay? Ugh, I really wish I could just talk to you guys in person!"_

"You don't have to tell us," Leo reassured me seriously, ignoring Mia. "I think it'd be good if you let us know, but if it's a big personal concern, then I won't hold it against you if you decide to keep it to yourself."

Looking back and forth between Leo's calming smile and, well, the phone that was supposed to be Mia, some of the heat that had accumulated in my face from earlier began to dissipate. Maybe it would be for the best if I did tell them. Carrying this burden alone might be making me so anxious, and the only way to get out of that would be to let them know.

Taking a deep breath, I sternly looked Leo in the eye since I couldn't look at Mia as well. "No, I'll let you guys know. Just…you literally have to promise that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone. I'm only telling you because I…I don't know if I can keep handling the pressure on my own."

Leo nodded to show he understood, and Mia let out a simple "Mhm" before they both eagerly waited to hear me out.

After explaining thoroughly what had happened the day before yesterday, we stood in silence as the two of them processed everything. I'm sure Mia was laying on her bed with her mouth wide open, trying to think of something appropriate to say. Leo, as expected, showed no real difference in his expression, but I could tell from his slightly furrowed brow that he was thinking hard on it.

"So…how do you feel now?" the blond thinker asked after what seemed like a very long time.

I stared at him with a bit of confusion. Why of all things would he choose to ask that? I mean, the logical thing to say would be something regarding Dart, but he was speaking to me about me, and only me.

"I…" I started, though I hadn't quite been thinking of how I was feeling. It was odd, though; now that I was thinking about it, I felt quite different. "I feel…relieved. Maybe that's not the right word, but I feel freer now that I've let it out."

He smiled, and I realized that this had been his intention right from the moment he had asked me to tell them about everything. I couldn't help but blush a bit, more from embarrassment than anything else. That's Leo for you, though, the smartest idiot you'll ever meet. He's unnervingly insensitive, yet he only ever thinks of us before anyone else. Nino's one lucky girl.

"_Um, not to sound like I'm gossip-hungry," _Mia said a bit timidly from the other end of the phone, obviously trying not to dwell on the topic of Dart, _"but now that you're feeling better, do you think we could hear about what Eddie said last night?"_

At the mention of last night's events, the slight blush on my face turned into the dizzyingly red hue it had been when I ran out of the hospital earlier. However, I was feeling different than I had then. While I still couldn't explain why I was so embarrassed about it, I felt like letting them know would be for the best. After all, if sharing something that was on a grand scale, like Kleine's pregnancy, helped me feel better, then telling them about Eddie's delirious, half-conscious ramblings shouldn't be an issue, right?

Of course, saying that to all of you is much easier than it is to these two. Why? Because I don't know any of you personally. You're just faces looking at a screen.

"Look, we won't say anything about anything you've told us," Leo spoke truthfully, holding his right hand up as if he was making a pledge. "This is all rather personal stuff, so if anyone should be talking about it, it's you or the people involved. Got that, Mia?"

"_What?! You're more likely to go spreading it around than I am, you jerk!" _she shouted back. I giggled at their antics, taking her response as her agreement to Leo's 'pledge'.

"I-I guess if you promise, then I don't mind talking about it," I said with as much resolve as I could muster. It might be an uncomfortable thing to say in front of them, but I know that if anyone can help me get through hard times, it's these two. They've always got my back no matter what.

"Well, after Leo fell asleep, the nurse led me into Eddie's room…"

(-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-|-/-|-\-)

"So…judging from your reaction earlier…does this nullify anything you said about missing Wil?" Leo questioned. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not, but it certainly came across as being douchey.

I slapped him on the shoulder, giving him a rather displeased look. "You asshole! O-Of course it doesn't mean…that…"

Though I wanted to explain the whole situation in detail, I had purposely left out the part about my extremely angsty kiss. It really would have made everything worse right now if I had included that, so all I said was that I went in slowly, brushed a few hairs off his face before sitting down, and stayed like that until he did his whole sleep talking thing.

"_I don't know why you took it so seriously,"_ Mia half-laughed. I guess she wasn't sure if it was the right time to be laughing about my troubles. _"If he was drunk and concussed, I don't think he meant any of it, especially if he didn't remember saying it this morning."_

"Heh, if anything, you read into it too much," Leo chuckled, to which I smacked him again.

"How could I be reading into it too much?!" I argued back, feeling extremely disgruntled from their lack of sympathy. "Maybe he wasn't all there, but he definitely said…that…without any hidden meanings!"

"_I guess if he literally said it the way you just told us, then, yeah, I don't see what else it could've meant, but you don't think he really meant it, do you?"_ Mia asked in a genuinely curious tone.

Leo noticed my somewhat haphazard glances in every direction, but only smirked, knowing that I couldn't hide what I was thinking. Considering he saw me run out with that embarrassingly red face earlier, I think it's probably safe to assume that he already knew I took it at least a little bit seriously.

"I…that is," I muttered, trying to think of the best way to phrase it, "…I don't think he'd ever say it consciously…"

"_Oh, come on, Rebecca!" _Mia semi-cut me off, sounding rather shocked that I didn't simply tell her that I didn't believe it. _"I mean, no offense to you, since you're every bit as good as she is, but Eddie's got L'Arachel right now! Why would he deliberately…no, I guess that's the wrong word…why would he subconsciously have thoughts of you that absolutely no one knows about if he's already with someone else?!"_

"I don't know!" I shouted back, feeling the frustrations building up within me. "It's not like I wanted him to say it! I just…I…"

"You know what, maybe we should just end this here," Leo interjected, waving his hands to get our…well, my attention. "No need to get worked up about it, it's just a misunderstanding. I'm with Mia on this one, but I don't think your ideas are weird, Rebecca. They're a little bit of a stretch, considering both of your relationship situations, but it's certainly not weird that you'd be thinking that."

"_Leo…"_ Mia growled, though I'm not entirely sure why. Was it because he wasn't agreeing with her? I guess since she usually just goes with what he says she was expecting the same from him.

"Relax," Leo chuckled slightly before pulling out his phone to check the time. "Hey, you should probably get going. Your parents are probably wondering where you are."

Confused, I looked at his phone (since mine just showed that I was talking to Mia) and squeaked a bit at how late in the morning it was. Hopefully everyone thinks I just ended up staying at someone's house for the night, but it's a little hard to tell what my family might say. Dart will probably be more concerned than he usually is, considering his predicament…

"I guess I should," I replied as he stuffed the phone back in his pocket. "Um, Leo?"

"Hm? What is it?"

I felt a bit strange saying it, but the words felt like they needed to escape from my lungs. "I, uh… Thank you…for listening to my issues. I'm feeling a lot better now because of you, so…yeah, thanks."

That came out much more awkwardly than I'd anticipated, and I immediately sighed in displeasure at my illiterate thanking. Leo didn't seem to mind, however, and simply smiled normally. I guess when you've known someone long enough, it doesn't matter how you say something because they can usually get the gist of it.

"Heh, no problem. If you've got troubles, don't hesitate to come to me when you need someone to talk to."

Returning his smile and nodding, I whirled around and started quickly in the direction of my house. I'd nearly forgotten I was still holding my phone until Mia clicked through the other end.

"_So I guess I was just a distraction then," _she chortled sarcastically, obviously referencing the fact that I said I was feeling better thanks to Leo.

"Are you ever anything else?" I giggled back.

"_Oh, hardy-har-har, missy. One day you're going to thank me so hard that I'll be like a saint compared to the devil that Leo really is."_

I laughed, but couldn't help thinking about how the two of them had been exactly that last night, sitting on my shoulders to whisper contrasting viewpoints. Of course, "saintly" Mia gave in after about two opinions, so she was rather different from the real one was behaving right now.

It took me a while to get home, but Mia talked to me for the entire trip back, mostly at her insistence since she didn't want to stop until she heard the beeping of my house alarm go off when I opened the door. I get that she's worried, but what's with this overprotective attitude today? It's like the opposite of what people with hangovers are usually like, though I have no idea if she drank enough to get hung over. Still, even for an enthusiastic person, she's acting rather…spastic.

Finally able to have some time to think without Mia blabbing about something or other, I was a bit surprised to find that no one was home. Maybe my parents were working, but I have no idea where Dart went off to. Oh wait, there's a note on the table.

_Dumbo,_

_Mom and Dad went to work and so did I. By the way, I got a job. Reasons should be somewhat obvious. You better not have slept with some guy last night._

Geez, he knows I have a boyfriend, considering he's pretty well acquainted with said boyfriend. I didn't even think about the fact that Dart would need to get a job, though. I didn't realize he'd been getting interviews or anything, but it really does make sense. Assuming Kleine keeps the baby, he's going to have to save up a lot to support her. Wow, that really puts the reality of the situation into perspective…

Tossing out the note, I dragged my feet out of the kitchen and up to my room. It hadn't occurred to me just how tired I was until a few moments ago, but I am exhausted. My back also hurts from sleeping on that chair, so getting some rest would probably do me good. I didn't get much sleep anyway.

Feeling extra groggy as my bed came into view, I softly shut the door behind me and collapsed in a heap onto my bed. As I felt my consciousness slowly fading away, Eddie's words from last night crept back into my mind, lulling me into an unsurprisingly deep slumber.

* * *

Whew, I got this chapter written out relatively quickly. Not to say that I was trying to rush it, just that I had a four-hour break between classes on Friday, so I got pretty much all of it finished then. I actually liked how this one turned out, especially compared to the last couple that I was rather on the fence about.

Anyway, the title for this chapter is somewhat metaphorical of Eddie and Rebecca right now, but I won't try to explain it, mostly because I don't really know how I would go about doing so :P. I'm sure you can come up with your own explanation.

To be blunt, I have no idea what the next chapter is going to be like. I didn't want to make this one another cliffhanger, but that leaves the next chapter open to pretty much anything at this point. I'll probably try to close off the side stories at some point in the near future since they really aren't doing anything for the overall story anymore (though I'm sure some people still want to see what happens). There's really only two, and I know how the quiet people segment is going to end, so it's just a matter of determining the GMT triangle's outcome, and when to do so for both.

Thanks to **Cormag Ravenstaff, BritRecon, Mr0cheese,** and** amondator **for reviewing!

Thanks for reading and please review! Also don't forget to check out the link to the visual novel I posted at the top!

_-GengaJupite_


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